NHTSA recalls, safety ratings, and consumer complaints for the 2022 BMW X3.
| Overall Rating | |
| Frontal Crash | |
| Side Crash | |
| Rollover |
| Overall Rating | |
| Frontal Crash |
Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2022 330i, 530i, X3 xDrive30i, and X4 xDrive30i vehicles. The mechatronics unit inside the transmission may not have been assembled properly, which could result in an internal leak.
Consequence: An internal transmission leak can result in a vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the transmission mechatronics unit, free of charge. All of the vehicle population for this recall have been repaired. Owner notification letters were not mailed. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2022 X1 xDrive 28i, X3 xDrive30i, and 228i Gran Coupe vehicles. The high-pressure fuel rail may crack and result in a fuel leak within the engine compartment.
Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the high-pressure fuel rail, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 19, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Component: STRUCTURE
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2023 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X3 M vehicles. The attachment for the interior cargo rail may become damaged in a rear crash and result in the cargo rail detaching.
Consequence: Interior cargo rail detachment during a rear crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rear cargo rail attachment bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
The contact owns a 2022 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving and stopping at a red light or stop sign, the vehicle accelerated from 20 MPH to 40 MPH. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 34,000. The VIN was not available.
on [XXX] I was going into a Parking Garage in Beverly Hills, CA. I got a little too far from the ticket machine so I put the BMWX3 in PARK and PUT the Emergency Brake on so I could open my door, step out and grab the ticket. The car immediately rolled backwards into a Dodge Charger behind me. That woman is suing for $150,000. It caused my insurance to double, I had to have PT on my pelvis. I had to pay the deductible to get the car repaired. BMW will not take responsibility for the malfunction. My Dad was a professional driver for FORD and I have never caused an accident in my [XXX] years of driving. The woman claims that she and her children were injured but no air bags deployed. the car rolled. It did give me quite a jolt. Her car showed no visible damage but mine was damaged - tail pipe and bumper. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
1. The primary failure occurred within the electrical system and engine compartment wiring. According to the official forensic report (Ref No: XXX by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, the fire originated in the engine compartment due to an electrotechnical fault (short circuit). 2. The vehicle spontaneously exploded and caught fire while parked in a closed, underground parking facility of a commercial building. This created an immediate risk of: Mass casualties due to smoke inhalation and potential structural collapse of the parking ceiling. Fire spreading to dozens of adjacent vehicles.The explosion occurred without any prior warning, posing a lethal threat to anyone nearby. 3. The failure was officially confirmed and documented through a State Forensic Examination. The Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Forensic-Criminalistic Department conducted a comprehensive technical audit. They ruled out any external factors (arson/accelerants) and confirmed an internal electrical short circuit as the sole cause. 4. Yes. The vehicle was inspected and seized as evidence by the Criminal Police and the State Forensic-Criminalistic Department of Georgia. 5. There were no warning lights or messages displayed on the dashboard prior to parking the vehicle. The incident was a spontaneous combustion that occurred while the vehicle was stationary and unoccupied. please note that uploaded police documents are in Georgian language and I will be able to send over official translations upon request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The 2022 BMW X3 has 7 NHTSA recalls and 59 consumer complaints on file. It received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA crash testing. The high number of complaints suggests potential reliability concerns — review the complaint details above before purchasing. For the most detailed information about a specific vehicle, decode its VIN using our free decoder above.
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| Side Crash |
| Rollover |
Component: STRUCTURE
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2022 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X3 M vehicles. The attachment for the rear cargo rail may become damaged in a rear crash and result in the cargo rail detaching.
Consequence: Interior rear cargo rail detachment during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rear cargo rail attachment bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicles in this recall were previously remedied for this issue under recall number 24V-534 and will need to have the new repair completed.
Component: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LOCK
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2022-2024 X3 sDrive30i and X3 xDrive30i vehicles. The second-row seat side door locking modules may not function properly and allow the doors to be unlocked with a single motion. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."
Consequence: Doors that can be inadvertently unlocked and unlatched may open unexpectedly, increasing the risk of injury to rear seat occupants.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the second-row seat side door locking modules, free of charge. A letter informing owners of the safety risk was mailed on April 21, 2025. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 800-525-7417.
Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY:RELAY
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 BMW 330i, 2019-2022 BMW Z4, 2020-2022 BMW 530i, X3, X4, Toyota Supra, 2021-2022 BMW 430i, 430i Convertible, and 2022 BMW 230i vehicles. The engine starter relay may corrode, causing the relay to overheat and short circuit.
Consequence: A short circuit in the starter relay may increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is complete. Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 6, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning November 14, 2025.
Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Toyota Supra, 2022-2023 2 Series Coupe, 2021-2024 5 Series (xDrive), 2021-2022 Z4, 2022-2024 4 Series (Gran Coupe), 2021-2024 4 Series (Convertible and xDrive Convertible), 2021-2023 4 Series (Coupe), 2021-2024 3 Series, 2021-2023 X4, 2021-2024 X3 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of all models. The engine starter may overheat and catch fire due to wear on an internal component.
Consequence: Fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. A letter informing owners of the safety risk was mailed on March 27, 2026. Owners will receive another letter once the remedy is available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning March 24, 2026.
Airbags deployed with no impact
Driving and side curtain airbags deployed without accident or impact
On 12/17/25, I was driving on I-10 in New Orleans, there were no cars around that could have kicked up a rock to cause the sunroof to explode. When the sunroof exploded, I immediately pulled over and that is when I first noticed the strong smell of residue and then I heard the glass shattering. The cover to the sunroof was closed because if not, glass would have been all over me causing a major accident on major 4 lane interstate. The heat was not on to cause any type of pressure to make it explode. When I pulled over, I called 911 and Louisiana State Police answered the call. When the officer arrived he looked at the situation and he could not see a rock, bullet, or anything that would have caused it. Since he could not find anything that caused the issue, he was not able to do an incident report but told me to take it straight to the dealership. The vehicle has been to two different BMW dealerships where I have been told warranty does not cover this issue even though there are multiple reports about this being a normal occurrence with BMW after a 7 year investigation. There were no warnings before this incident. I could have killed myself along with others if I would have lost control of the car due to the car shaking with the sunroof exploded. The vehicle is able to inspected upon request if needed while it sits at the dealership. This vehicle was also bought on 10/27/25.
Transfer case fluid has been replaced as well as drivetrain fluid in the front and rear and and the car is still having slight issues shuttering when stopping.
The driver side rear door locking mechanism keeps locking, even when the car is unlocked with the key fob. This is a safety concern, as our granddaughter rides in the rear seat regularly and if an emergency arises where I need to get her out of the back seat quickly, the rear door can stay locked and not allow me to get her out. There were no warning notices for this issue on the dashboard system.
windshield glass excessively weak and prone to crack and chip. yes, a weak (defective windshield) has great safety concerns. yes, Safelight glass repair has repaired this windshield several times in 2 months. yes, we have recently brought this vehicle to a BMW service center. no warning light for this issue. There are several websites that confirm there is a significant problem with the windshield on this specific make. model and year.
Starter
I am a [XXX] male who has been driving for [XXX]. I am very familiar with cars. I recently experienced a situation which could be catastrophic for anyone, especially children. I was sitting in the car on a moderately cool day with the sun shining very bright. I was in a parking lot parked in a remote location. My wife, who was driving went into a store to shop. She took the FOB with her. She shopped longer than expected. The car's interior started to heat up and eventually I realized i was in a very dangerous situation. I could not open the doors or windows without the FOB. I was considering kicking out a window when my wife returned to the car and opened a door. She later went to the dealership and was told there is a special procedure one most follow to unlock the doors without the FOB being present and someone in the car. This is a ridiculous situation which could become tragic if a child was involved. The simple remedy would be to have the interior locking pin for each door extend far enough beyond the door panel so one can unlock the door in an emergency like they did in the "old" days. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While driving, noticed smoke coming from under the hood. Immediately pulled in a parking lot where the smoke turned to fire and burned the entire car by the time fire dept arrived. I was the only person in the car and was luckily able to exit the vehicle before the actual fire started. Incident reported to insurance company and they are investigating. There were no dash warning lights of any kind.
When starting the vehicle, the message center displays "Loss Communications Brake System Control Module A." The vehicle losses power steering, speedometer indication, tire pressure monitoring, and stability control. There are numerous codes displayed for Brake System, Power Steering, Parking Brake and Stability Control. This is the third time that this event has happened. Turning the vehicle off and restarting after approximately 1 hour the codes were clear and everything appears to work properly. This event occurs randomly and resets after the vehicle is turned off and restarted after a period of approximately 1 hour. The loss of power steering and speed indication is a safety hazard. I have been driving this vehicle when the power steering and speedometer stopped working. The steering requires a lot more effort to turn and you do not know the current speed of the vehicle. The BMW dealer charged us the customer for a software update to fix this issue. We are not confident that the vehicle is fixed because this is a random event. I believe this should be a safety recall. There is a recall on BMW 2023 and 2024 models for the same issue. The recall does not include the 2022 model at this time. Codes displayed: U0129, U0418, P15C9, P15C8, P15B9, P15B8, P0507, P0610, P152B, P152A.
I believe there is a flaw in the architecture of start-stop technology in conjunction with the electronic shifting technology installed in cars today.. I have ran into this issue twice in a 18month period and I believe it is something the NHTSA should institute new requirements on car manufacturers. My wifes BMW X3 start stop technology has failed twice in 18months and that is not a big deal. Things break and need to be repaired but given the car can not be put in neutral it left us stranded unable to move the vehicle in the middle of the road until a tow truck could move us out of the road. I could have easily put the car in the neutral (if allowed) and pushed the car off to the side of the road out of traffic. Luckily in both occasions a police officer pulled up very quickly and was able to alert traffic there was a vehicle stopped in the middle of the road. I want you to imagine being in stop and go traffic on highway 95 and this happens. Then the traffic actually dissipates and your vehicl is in the middle lane on hwy 95 unable to be moved until a tow truck arrives and now the traffic is going 65-70 mph. The BMW X3 can not be place in neutral unless you go underneath the car in some sort of service panel. I do not believe given the mandate of auto-stop start on these new cars coupled with the inability to place cars into neutral is a good design point and I would hope the the NHTSA would mandate cars be able to put cars in neutral to avoid potentially catastrophic accidents on the highways across America..
Subject: Tire Safety Concern – BMW OEM Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season (UTQG 500) 245 50 R19 I am writing to raise a serious vehicle safety concern involving the BMW OEM Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season tires that came factory-installed on my leased 2022 BMW X3. These tires are labeled with a UTQG 500 treadwear rating, which typically implies a lifespan of 40,000 to 50,000 miles. Yet, all four of my tires were found to be severely worn and unsafe at just 23,456 miles. More troubling, I began experiencing significant handling and traction issues as early as 18,000 miles. During normal driving—without aggressive braking, cornering, or high-speed use—the car exhibited: Hydroplaning in moderate rain Slipping and sliding under light acceleration Noticeable vibration and poor stability on dry roads These symptoms were initially confusing until a routine service appointment at Motorwerks BMW in Bloomington, MN revealed that all four tires were nearly bald and posed a safety risk. The dealership confirmed the tread depth was between 1 and 2 mm—well below the safe limit—and told me, alarmingly, that this level of premature failure is typical for this tire. This raises two critical safety issues: The tires were functionally unsafe well before 20,000 miles, long before I was aware of the degradation. The UTQG 500 label creates a false sense of security. A consumer would not expect traction loss or hydroplaning risks within the first 18,000–20,000 miles of normal use from a 500-rated tire. I have since learned that this OEM tire, while labeled identically to the Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus sold at retail, is actually a different tire made specifically for BMW. It carries no treadwear warranty, despite its 500 label, and reportedly has never been separately tested to confirm its rating. Both BMW and Pirelli have pointed fingers at each other, offering no solution or responsibility—leaving consumers with unsafe tires and no remedy. I urge NHTSA to investigate this issue.
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