10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
52,716 miles

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problem #24

Mar 122024

X3

  • miles
The car no longer starts. When towing it to a BMW dealership, they informed me that there is a problem with the VANOS bolts and that "they snap easily"; however after some research into it I realized that these engines have a recall for this specific issue only that my vehicle isn't listed under the recall. I believe this is a mistake and that it should be.

- Harwich, MA, USA

problem #23

Jan 312022

X3

  • miles
I was driving my car and the car overheated due to a faulty pcv valve heater: 1.The purpose of the PCV heater is to prevent the PCV valve from freezing in cold ambient temperatures. Heated PCV valves are heated either by water or electric. Water heated systems use engine coolant to heat the valve to prevent freezing. Electrically heated systems use a heating element enclosed in the PCV valve to prevent the valve from freezing. Symptoms of my car Faulty water pump 2 A malfunctioning pcv valve heater, a clogged hose or PCV system or inoperative valve can increase oil consumption because pressure builds when the vapors in the crankcase aren't allowed to flow into the combustion chambers. That additional pressure can force oil past seals and gaskets Symptoms of my car Leaking oil pan gasket Lealing valve cover gasket 3 If the PCV valve and or pcv heater is faulty, the extra gunk can mess up a BMW X3-??s spark plugs and increase oil consumption. Symptoms of my car Faulty spark plugs 4.Excessive heat or excessive oil due to malfunctioning pcv valve heater can cause a camshaft actuator to fail Symptoms of my car Faultt camshaft actuator

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #22

Dec 012021

X3

  • miles
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X3. The contact stated that while at a stop there was an abnormal plastic burning odor coming through the vent. Additionally, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. An independent mechanic was called to her home for maintenance, and the mechanic made minor repairs and reset the computer; however, the failure returned soon after repair. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while picking up her grandson from school, she had attempted to accelerate after placing the vehicle into the park; however, the vehicle stalled. The contact was uncertain if any warning lights were illuminated during the failure. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to her home where it remained. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts are not available. (RECALL RELATED INCIDENT)

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #21

Nov 282021

X3

  • 142,381 miles
I am working with a journalist at CNBC to get info about this death trap out since NHTSA is ignoring the issue completely. People are telling you their family members are injured and/or dying because 2008 BMW X3-??s simply loose power at 70mph and transmission issues that make this care not accelerate, jerk, stall, etc. I have been helping contact other owners in an effort to see if they have any unreported issues and many say their complaints were also ignored. when you try to accelerate, the transmission "thinks" about what gear it should be in. the vehicle hesitates, stalls slightly, and creeps along slowly before second gear catches. the rpms are erratic when accelerating. very unpredictable when trying to accelerate. the hesitation is the main issue, especially when trying to pull out of an intersection across traffic. it can become a very scary situation when you want to accelerate and nothing happens. this is an ongoing problem. nothing in particular causes it to happen besides regular acceleration. the problem is intermittent and may disappear while driving. however, it will appear again for no real reason. a software update was performed in mid-july. the problem was still noticeable. on august 3rd, the vehicle was once again brought in for service work. the service manager came along for the drive and noticed the transmission problem. another 2008 bmw x3 that was on the lot was driven under the same driving conditions. the same issues with the transmission were noted. he told me that they will contact bmw to see if there are any service bulletins on how to correct the problem, but was unaware of any fix currently available. after two service calls the problem still persists without any fix as of yet.

- Me Quin , WI, USA

problem #20

Nov 012013

X3

  • miles
The problem with the 2008 BMW X3 transmission is going to get someone KILLED!! This transmission DOES NOT RESPOND when depressing the accelerator at random times & HAS DONE THIS SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT. it happened once after pulling away from an ezpass booth - the car just froze and would not accelerate nearly causing an accident. Now it has caused an accident. How are you not doing anything when this has CAUSED DEATHS!!! here is a link to a blog that shows many bmw x3 owners have the problem - some have had their cars replaced by bmw and others have been ignored. this is a serious safety issue that is being ignored by the manufacturer (similar to the toyota issue). please investigate before someone gets killed. www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=262130.

- Toms River , NJ, USA

problem #19

Aug 012020

X3

  • 112,000 miles
Sheared motor mount support bracket to engine bolt at or before 112K miles. Found bolt head on reinforcement plate under support bracket.

- Anchorage, AK, USA

problem #18

May 022020

X3

  • 90,000 miles
My car has suddenly lost power in several occasions nearly causing an accident at 60 mph on one occasion. When power is lost steering seizes up completely. This happens with absolutely no warning whatsoever & my car has started up as though nothing is wrong after. The second issue is so well known it has been labeled as the "terrible triad" ac road all BMW forums, youtube. Twitter, etc. You can find thousands of chats & forums discussing the 3 lights which appear simultaneously due to transfer case actuator & I drive issues. My 4X4 light is on indefinitely & all of the symptoms can be felt.

- Flower Mound, TX, USA

problem #17

Jun 012020

X3

  • 130,000 miles
NHTSA: Please help, our 2008 (besides all lost time for the repaired recalls) our 2008 BMW X3 is suffering the exact as in the recall below; NHTSA 14V176000, the BMW dealer replaced the camshaft position sensors due to "engine problems"July 2020, miles 135,000 this did not fix the problem. That BMW dealer, nashua nh then called us to say it would be $4,500 to fix. Unsafe to drive, it lost power by 70% or greater-my wife, and I have been nearly _rear ended when this occured at higway sppeds-and slower local speeds ie 65mph or 30 mph limits.....we had to stop driving for life safety. 1. how did BMW get away with not including the other yrs with same engine safety issues(ours 2008) and why did a BMW serv.advisor replace parts for over $1000 knowing that a BMW serv.bulletin had cited the manufacture defects" 3. please help with recourse" I am sending title copy for ownership, I am awaiting copies of repairs by BMW (they are being slow / delaying) I am collecting all repair receipts at this time. Again: The vehicle was moving and lost power, stalled and eventually started with lost power.

- Chelmsford, MA, USA

problem #16

Dec 012017

X3

  • miles
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17V683000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. BMW of monrovia (1425 mountain ave, monrovia, ca 91016, (855) 627-5361) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Long Beach, CA, USA

problem #15

Sep 012017

X3

  • miles
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X3. The contact stated that the recall notices for NHTSA campaign numbers: 17V605000 (air bags) and 17V83000 (engine) were received in September and October of 2017. After contacting BMW of birmingham (11000 tom williams way, irondale al), the contact was informed that the parts needed to repair the defects were not available. The manufacturer was not notified. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Birmingham, AL, USA

problem #14

Jun 202018

X3

  • 77,000 miles
Received 2 recall notices from BMW usa 11/17 and 12/17 for issues with the front passenger seat occupant detection mat and the engine PCV valve heater. Contacted my local dealership to have them fixed. Was advised that they did not have authorization from the national office to perform the repairs. When questioned about having the parts the service representative admitted that they could get the parts but would not be reimbursed for the repair because the national office had not authorized their use. Repeatedly check with them over the next several months. Received the same answer again and again. Contacted BMW usa directly through their customer service and spoke with their representative who stated that they did not have the parts to repair the known safety issues and were hoping to have them fixed later this year. When I informed them that the local dealership said they could get the parts they finally admitted that yes they had them but not enough to cover all the recalled vehicles so they were not authorizing repairs yet.

- Williamsburg, VA, USA

problem #13

Nov 172017

X3 6-cyl

  • miles
I have 2 dangerous recalls. One-no one can sit in the passenger seat because the air bags may not deploy and the second, my engine can be on fire due to a pvc valve. BMW has no remedies and it has been over 4 months, this is unacceptable. Someone has to put the pressure on BMW to get this fixed immediately. Thank you [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Concord, CA, USA

problem #12

Sep 162017

X3

  • miles
Seat occupation detection mat and positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve heater. Both recalls but no remedy since September 2017. Dangerous conditions that need to be resolved immediately

- Concord, CA, USA

problem #11

May 292017

X3

  • miles
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2008 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V071000 (air bags) and was unable to receive the remedy and part within a reasonable time frame. In addition, the contact was included in NHTSA campaign number: 17V683000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the recall notices stated that the remedy and parts were unavailable. The contact was uncertain as to when the vehicle would be repaired for months. A dealer was contacted (BMW of freehold, 4225 U.S. 9, freehold, NJ 07728, (732) 410-6096), but the contact relocated. The manufacturer was notified of the concerns pertaining to the recall repairs. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Kings Hill, VI, USA

problem #10

Mar 082016

X3

  • 60,000 miles
I am a 2008, BMW X3 driver. I had my air bag fixed (I think) yet, the air bag light is still on. Also, the brake light and engine light. I do not know what is going on. This drama is over a year old. I have supportive documents, voicemails and emails to support my efforts.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #9

May 032017

X3

  • 60,000 miles
Sheared engine mount bolts on vehicle with no accidents, no off road use and only 60K miles. BMW did have a service notice on this, but we are told it has expired. It appears to be manufacturing defect, in which case BMW should fix, but they say too late.

- Redmond,, OR, USA

problem #8

May 112017

X3

  • miles
Engine bolts are loose or have fallen out.

- Nashville, TN, USA

problem #7

Oct 082016

X3

  • 100,000 miles
While slowing down my car (BMW X3 year 2008)engine suddenly shut down. I pull over put it in park and it and re-start auto. This has happen a number of times. The last time was today 10/08/2016 while slowing down at a yield sign. Lucky for me there hasn't been an accident yet. This has happened a number of times on a busy street, pulling in my driveway and on the highway during a backup.

- Johnston, RI, USA

problem #6

Jul 292016

X3

  • 100,200 miles
Driving on a flat paved road and hear two mental ping sounds on the front passenger side.I pulled over to check the vehicle, and couldn't see anything. I pulled out and when I turned there was a loud vibration. This happened when turning left or right from a stop. When further inspected you could see the motor was hanging at an angle. The four bolts on the engine mount bracket had broken off causing the engine to hang down. After inspecting the parts you could see by the discoloration of two bolts that they had been broken for sometime. There is no way of knowing when the first one broke or how long it took the last two to break.this could cause a serious problem to the operation of the vehicle. I spoke with a BMW mechanic and he said they fix this problem all the time, its not unusual. Its defiantly a safety concern.

- Millbury, MA, USA

problem #5

Jun 272016

X3

  • 139,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X3 sav. While driving 55 mph, the engine stalled without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

- Spruce Pine, NC, USA

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