2021 Bmw X3: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 122 complaints
122
Total Complaints
28,536mi
Median Mileage
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Top Issue
5
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

2,700 25th Percentile
28,536 Median Mileage
66,825 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
23
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
23
ENGINE
15
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
8
STRUCTURE
8
SERVICE BRAKES
5
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
5
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
4
POWER TRAIN
4
STEERING
3

Severity Assessment

5
Crashes
3
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"PARKING DISTANCE CONTROL IS FAULTY AND SOMETIMES LOCKS UP THE BRAKES IN A JARRING MANNER WHEN BACKING UP EVEN WHEN THERE IS NOTHING BEHIND THE CAR, CLOSE TO THE CAR OR IN THE ADJACENT PARKING SPACES. BMW EVEN SAYS TO TURN OFF PDC WHEN USING PARKING ASSISTANT PLUS. MANUAL SAYS CAR CAN STILL HIT CURB ..."
"MY CAR'S SPEEDOMETER ONLY DISPLAYS SPEED IN 10 MILES INCREMENTS, WHICH MAKES IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW EXACT CURRENT SPEED OF THE CAR. FOR EXAMPLE WHEN SPEED IS BETWEEN 50 AND 60 I CAN ONLY GUESS WHAT MY ACTUAL SPEED IS, 52 OR 58. BMW FOR SOME STRANGE REASON SELLS AN OPTIONAL PACKAGE WHICH ENAB..."
"BRIGHTNESS ADJUSTMENT FOR CONTROL DISPLAY SCREEN (BACKUP CAMERA, NAVIGATION,MESSAGES ETC) HAS BEEN ELIMINATED FROM MENU. DRIVER HAS NO WAY TO ADJUST DAYTIME BRIGHTNESS ANYMORE. BMW REPLACED IT WITH A INTERIOR BRIGHTNESS SENSOR IN THE UPPER LEFT CORNER OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ABOVE THE GAS GAUGE...."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28