Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2015 BMW X3, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine29
- Electrical system22
- Engine and engine cooling15
- Fuel/propulsion system13
- Unknown or other13
- Fuel system, diesel12
- Air bags10
- Power train9
- Service brakes8
- Vehicle speed control7
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 3 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 5 2015 X3 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 1 person died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2015 BMW X3 failed the safety check 2.00% of the time — 4% less often than the average 2015 passenger car (2.08%). Median odometer at inspection: 82,942 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2015
42,206 new BMW X3 cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2015; the largest markets were Germany (14,931), the United Kingdom (7,556), France (4,258).
- Average mass
- 1,822 kg
- Average power
- 146 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 95% · Petrol 4.8%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2015 BMW X3 cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 petrol (135 kW, 181 hp), 2.0 diesel (140 kW, 188 hp) and 2.0 petrol (180 kW, 241 hp), out of 7 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 petrol | 135 kW 181 hp | 397 |
| 2.0 diesel | 140 kW 188 hp | 168 |
| 2.0 petrol | 180 kW 241 hp | 95 |
| 3.0 petrol | 225 kW 302 hp | 45 |
| 2.0 diesel | 110 kW 148 hp | 36 |
| 3.0 diesel | 190 kW 255 hp | 29 |
| 3.0 diesel | 230 kW 308 hp | 23 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
820 first registered in 2015 are on Dutch roads; 42% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €70,740.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde329
- Band onvoldoende profiel208
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld144
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm141
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage97
- Veer gebroken of gescheurd51
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht48
- Achterlicht werkt niet (goed)42
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
6,867 cars built in 2015 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 89 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 7,079 of these cars first registered in 2015 took their annual MOT test. 79% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2015 the figure was 75%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 6.0% | 6.4% |
| Tyres | 5.4% | 6.6% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.1% | 7.7% |
| Visibility | 4.2% | 3.9% |
| Brakes | 3.1% | 5.1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 1.0% | 2.1% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
442 of these cars first registered in 2015 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 217,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
213 2015 cars are on the New Zealand register; 30% arrived as used imports, 69% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 3 variants: combined 7.9–10.9 L/100 km (about 22–30 mpg US), CO₂ 213–251 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| X3 xDrive28d · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Diesel | 8.6 | 6.9 | 7.9 |
| X3 xDrive28i · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Premium gasoline | 11.1 | 8.4 | 9.9 |
| X3 xDrive35i · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Premium gasoline | 12.7 | 8.8 | 10.9 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
10 Transport Canada recalls for the 2015 BMW X3.
| 2024544 15 Aug 2024 | Label Issue: On certain vehicles, the tire and loading information label does not list that there is no spare tire in both official languages. The label reads as "N… |
| 2024468 13 Aug 2024 | Engine Issue: On certain vehicles, fluid from the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system could leak on the intake air hose. As a result, the fluid could enter t… |
| 2024392 3 Jul 2024 | Airbag Issue: This recall applies to vehicles that may be equipped with a replacement sport or M-sport steering wheel that has a Takata airbag. Long-term exposure to… |
| 2021711 19 Nov 2021 | Engine Issue: On certain vehicles, the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler could crack internally and leak. If this happens, you may notice the following symptoms… |
| 2021469 29 Jul 2021 | Fuel System Issue: On certain vehicles equipped with a diesel engine, the high-pressure fuel pump may wear prematurely. This can cause reduced engine performance and coul… |
| 2018587 26 Oct 2018 | Engine This recall was replaced by Transport Canada Recall No. 2021-711. On certain vehicles, the cooler for Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) module may develop an … |
| 2016579 17 Nov 2016 | Steering On certain vehicles, the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) control unit may be missing a weld holding a contact pin due to a manufacturing error. A missing weld c… |
| 2016461 21 Sept 2016 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the housing of the driver's frontal airbag inflator may have been incorrectly welded during manufacturing and could separate from the base … |
| 2016242 20 May 2016 | Seats And Restraints On certain vehicles, the lower anchor bars that are used for installing child seats using the European-ISOFIX-type rigid-style connector may become damaged duri… |
| 2014459 16 Oct 2014 | Visual System Certain vehicles do not comply with the requirements of CMVSS 111 - Rearview Mirrors. Affected vehicles were produced with a driver's side exterior rearview mi… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2012-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 2012-2016 Z4 sDrive28i, 528i, 528i xDrive, 328i, 328xi, 2016-2018 X5 xdrive 40e, 2014-2016 228i, 228xi, 428i, 428i xDrive, 328xi Gran Turismo, 2013-2017 X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, 2015-2018 X4 xDrive28i, 2015-2016 428xi vehicles. An improperly sealed electrical connector on the water pump may be exposed to water and short circuit.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2013-2018 328d, 328d xDrive, 2014-2018 328d Sports Wagon, 328d xDrive Sports Wagon, 2014-2016 535d, 535d xDrive, 2015 740Ld xDrive, 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d SAV, and 2014-2017 X5 xDrive35d SAV diesel vehicles equipped with an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) module with an integrated cooler. The EGR cooler may leak internally, causing coolant to mix with diesel engine soot, which could result in smoldering particles and a melting intake manifold.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014-2018 328d, 328d xDrive, X5 xDrive35d, 2014-2016 535d, 535d xDrive, 2015 740Ld xDrive, and 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d vehicles. The high-pressure fuel pump may fail.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2013-2018 BMW 328d and 328d xDrive, 2014-2018 328d Sports Wagon and 328d xDrive Sports Wagon, 2014-2016 535d and 535d xDrive, 2015 740Ld xDrive, 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d SAV and 2014-2017 X5 xDrive35d SAV vehicles equipped with an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) module with an integrated cooler. If the EGR cooler leaks internally, the coolant can mix with diesel engine soot. The high EGR temperatures may result in these particles possibly smoldering and melting the intake manifold.
BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2015 BMW X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, X3 xDrive35i, X3 xDrive28d, X4 xDrive28i and X4 xDrive35i vehicles, and model year 2014-2015 X5 xDrive35i, X5 sDrive35i, X5 xDrive50i, and 2014 X5 xDrive35d vehicles. The affected vehicles have a driver's frontal air bag inflator that may have been improperly welded.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2011-2017, X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i and X3 xDrive35i, vehicles manufactured July 2, 2010 to April 14, 2016, 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d vehicles manufactured March 10, 2014 to March 31, 2016, and 2015-2017 x4 xDrive28i, X4 xDrive35i and X4 xDriveM40i vehicles manufactured March3, 2014 to April 15, 2016. The affected vehicles have lower anchor bars for securing child restraint seats that may become damaged when using the European-ISOFIX-type, rigid-style connector, child restraint system.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2015 X3 and X4 Sports Activity Vehicles manufactured July 28, 2014 to July 29, 2014. The affected vehicles may have been produced with a driver's side exterior rearview mirror that was designed to meet non-US market requirements. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards No. 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What BMW told its dealers about the 2015 BMW X3: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11009573 | Wheel Arch Cover Return |
| 10253326 | While driving the vehicle on normal roads at10mph and above, a "cracking" sound from the top of the B-pillar(s) is heard. |
| 10249439 | The vehicle demonstrates a power loss and the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) on. The following fault codes may be stored in the DDE: 24CE00 Hot film air mass meter: Ratio of measured to calculated air mass too high 27F000 Charge air hose monitoring in idle: Charge air hose fallen down 290900 Air system, air to EGR air mass flow plausibility: Measured air mass compared to calculated air mass too high 290A00 Air system, air to EGR air mass flow plausibility: measured air mass compared to calculated air mass too high and high charging pressure control deviation |
| 10249437 | The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met. |
| 10249027 | The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle discharged battery complaints. |
| 10249016 | With the vehicle is on a lift and the front struts are in the extended position, there may be a cracking and orclicking type noise when turning the steering wheel left/right. See attached video V31 01 24. The sound can reoccur when the vehicle is lowered, and the wheels are once again under load. The noise might also be heard for a short time while driving. |
| 10247574 | A noise can be heard from underneath the seat while the seat is being moved either forwards or backwards. This can occur to the drivers and/or the passengers front seat. |
| 10245364 | DIESEL FUEL INJECTORS: LTD WTY EXTENSION TO 10 YEARS/120,000 MILES |
| 10244239 | This situation can result in two customer complaints: 1. Wind noise 2. Excess water entry |
| 10238090 | After programming the head unit (HU-H2), activating the FSC (German word Freischaltcode) Enabling Codes repeatedly fails. |
| 10235205 | The 3G network in the US has been shut down. This means that only the 4G network will be available. In the 4G network, voice calls will be transferred via the Voice over LTE (VoLTE) function. For this purpose, the SIM card must perform an IMS registration in the mobile communication network. Due to a production error, the telematics control units were delivered without an IMS configuration. The Connected Drive voice services (Concierge Call, BMW Assistance, and emergency call voice) can no longer be used regionally in the US in vehicle with telematics control units ATM-1 and TCB-4G. Voice cont |
| 10230717 | For the eligible vehicles, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) is extending the limited warranty for the vehicle's Fuel Injectors to 10 years/120,000 miles as determined by the vehicle's original in-service date. |
| 10227568 | According to the customer, the airbag warning light was on, but it may not be illuminated when the vehicle arrives in the workshop. 1. ACSM fault code "930A60 - Seat occupancy detection, front passenger; malfunction" is stored. The fault may or may not currently be present. Or 2. ACSM fault code "930A1C - Front passenger seat occupancy detection transmitting fault(moisture)" is stored. The fault may or may not currently be present. |
| 10225127 | The Lane Change Warning (LCW) yellow triangle symbol on either one, or both the exterior side view mirrors does not illuminate to alert the driver when it should. |
| 10225126 | Vehicle cannot be opened or closed using comfort access, engine start is not possible, and the vehicle may not start when placing the key against the steering column. |
| 10225114 | The front sunroof glass seal has shrunk, creating a gap which can cause wind noise or excess water entry. |
| 10224186 | Component-Specific Limited Warranty Extension. For the eligible vehicles, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) is extending the limited warranty for the vehicle's Radiator Grille Upper and Lower Active Air Flaps to: 15 years/150,000 miles as determined by the vehicle's original in-service date. 1. Air flap control (link) active, upper (G12, G30 and G32) 2. Air flap control (drive), active, upper 3. Air flaps, upper (assembly) 4. Air flaps, lower (assembly) For eligible MY 2017 BMW 530i (B460) vehicles that are currently registered in the State of California (CA) or a State that has fully adopted |
| 10224185 | Component-Specific Limited Warranty Extension. For the eligible vehicles, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) is extending the limited warranty for the vehicle's Leak Diagnosis Module with hose assembly (NVLD, shown) to: 15 years/150,000 miles as determined by the vehicle's original in-service date. For eligible MY 2017 BMW 530i Sedan and xDrive (B460) vehicles that are currently registered in the State of California (CA) or a State that has fully adopted the State of California PZEV/SULEV regulation (CT, ME, MD, MA, NJ, NY, RI, and VT), the standard component-related coverage for the NVLD is 1 |
| 10218420 | The 3G network in the US has been shut down. This means that only the 4G network will be available. In the 4G network, voice calls will be transferred via Voice over LTE (VoLTE) function. For this purpose the SIM card must perform an IMS registration in the mobile communication network. Due to a production error, the telematics control units were delivered without an IMS configuration. The Connected Drive voice services (Concierge Call, BMW Assistance and emergency call voice) can no longer be used regionally in the US in vehicle with telematics control units ATM-1 and TCB-4G. Voice control of |
| 10218413 | BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective March 28, 2022) on certain Model Year 2022 BMW vehicles that were produced between March 1, 2022 and March 8, 2022 because the torsion struts may not have been installed at the plant. Do not deliver to a customer, a New, Certified Pre-Owned or Used vehicle subject to a Delivery Stop, until the vehicle is repaired. Do not use or sell replacement equipment/parts subject to a Delivery Stop. |
| 10218384 | Vehicle cannot be opened or closed using comfort access, engine start is not possible, and the vehicle may not start when placing the key against the steering column. Note: Opening, closing and starting via the BMW Digital Key or the Digital Key Card are not affected. |
| 10218381 | A check control message for the restraint system appears. In the instrument cluster, the red air bag warning light lights up permanently. One of the following fault codes is stored in the ACSM (air bag control unit): 930949 - Knee airbag, driver: short circuit to negative terminal 93094F - Knee airbag, front passenger: short circuit to negative terminal. |
| 10215746 | Component specific limited warranty extension. For the eligible vehicles, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) is extending the limited warranty for the vehicle Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) Sensor(s) to: 10 years/120,000 miles as determined by the vehicle original in-service date. |
| 10214990 | The Headunit High (HU-H), also called NBT, began replacing the Car Information Computer (CIC) on certain MY2013 vehicles with option 609 (as of 7/2012 production). This uses map North America NEXT. The Headunit High 2 (HU-H2), also called NBT-EVO, superseded the NBT HU and was introduced in 3/2014. This uses map North America EVO. The Headunit High 4 (HU-H4, also called MGU21) superseded the MGU starting with certain MY2021 vehicles with option code 6U3 Live Cockpit Professional. This uses map North America JOY. The ENTRY Media/Navigation (HU-B) is the low line business version of the navigati |
| 10204660 | The Headunit High (HU-H), also called NBT, began replacing the Car Information Computer (CIC) on certain MY2013 vehicles with option 609 (as of 7/2012 production). This uses map North America NEXT. The Headunit High 2 (HU-H2), also called NBT-EVO, superseded the NBT HU and was introduced in 3/2014. This uses map North America EVO. The Headunit High 3 (HU-H3, also called MGU) superseded the NBT-EVO starting with certain MY2019 vehicles with option code 6U3 Live Cockpit Professional or 6U2 Live Cockpit Plus. This uses map North America LIVE. The ENTRY Media/Navigation (HU-B) is the low line busi |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
High pressure fuel pump failure
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation