2011 BMW X3: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2011 BMW X3. The newest campaign is 23V707000. NHTSA received the report on 20 Oct 2023. The NHTSA record gives the component Engine and Engine Cooling / Engine. NHTSA has 59 complaints on file for this model year. 1 NHTSA investigation names this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 23V707000, in the NHTSA record

Dealers will replace the four VANOS bolts, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed December 18, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed June 19, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 15 May 2019. Recall file through 29 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

4 campaigns, newest first. 1,087,076 units in total.

23V70700020 Oct 2023Engine and Engine Cooling / Engine
17V68300030 Oct 2017Engine and Engine Cooling / Exhaust System / Emission Control / Crankcase (Pcv)
16V33300023 May 2016Child Seat / Latch Strap
11V34100029 Jun 2011Steering / Electric Power Assist System

23V707000Received 20 Oct 2023. 157,796 units.
Engine and Engine Cooling / Engine
Defect, in the NHTSA record
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2010-2012 1 Series Coupe, 1 Series Convertible, 3 Series Sedan, 3 Series Convertible, 2010-2011 3 Series Sportswagon, 3 Series Coupe, 5 Series Sedan, X3 xDrive 28i, X3 xDrive 30i, X5 xDrive30i, and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles. The aluminum bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment (VANOS) unit can loosen over time and possibly break.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Loose or broken VANOS unit bolts can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace the four VANOS bolts, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed December 18, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed June 19, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Report filed by BMW of North America, LLC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 19 Jun 2024.
17V683000Received 30 Oct 2017. 740,561 units.
Engine and Engine Cooling / Exhaust System / Emission Control / Crankcase (Pcv)
Defect, in the NHTSA record
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2011 128i and 2007-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi, X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive30i, Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
An electrical short can cause the parts within the PCV valve to melt, increasing the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is not in use.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PCV valve heater, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notification by the end of October 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Report filed by BMW of North America, LLC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 18 Jun 2018.
16V333000Received 23 May 2016. 188,668 units.
Child Seat / Latch Strap
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Damaged lower anchor bars may increase the child's risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will weld a reinforcing bracket to the lower anchor bars and the vehicle body, free of charge. The recall began on July 13, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Report filed by BMW of North America, LLC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 13 Jul 2016.
11V341000Received 29 Jun 2011. 51 units.
Steering / Electric Power Assist System
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Bmw is recalling certain model year 2011 x3 passenger vehicles manufactured from april 27, 2011, through june 8, 2011. A control module in the electric power steering (eps) unit may malfunction, resulting in a sudden loss of power steering assistance.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Sudden loss of power steering assistance could increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Bmw will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during august 2011. Owners may contact BMW customer relations and services at 1-800-525-7417.
Report filed by BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 10 Aug 2011.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

59 complaints, 91 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.

2011 BMW X3
All 2011 vehicles

2011 BMW X3: complaints by component, per 1,000 component mentions
Component	2011 X3	All 2011 vehicles	X3, all years	Mentions
Power Train	186.8	91.7	64.9	17
Steering	186.8	100.1	42.9	17
Engine	153.8	118.1	116.4	14
Electrical System	142.9	132.1	89.7	13
Exterior Lighting	98.9	31.1	26.7	9
Engine and Engine Cooling	44	16.1	30.5	4
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)	33	26.3	10.5	3
Vehicle Speed Control	33	44.6	39.1	3
Unknown or Other	33	56.3	45.8	3
Air Bags	22	124.4	237.6	2

The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 15.

Complaints that report a crash: 3
Complaints that report a fire: 0
Injuries in the complaints: 1
Deaths in the complaints: 0
Date of the newest complaint: 4 Apr 2019

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 2011 BMW X3, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 2018, with 24 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 2011 BMW X3
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
EA21002	Engineering analysis	Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture	Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module	17 Sep 2021	Open

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 2011 BMW X3The recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 2011 BMW X3: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/bmw/x3/2011/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 29 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 29 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 15 May 2019
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: BMW of North America, LLC

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 2011 BMW X3?: 1,087,076 units in 4 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the BMW X3 have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 60 recall campaigns for the BMW X3, model years 2004 to 2026. 4 of them name the 2011 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 2011 BMW X3 name most often?: Power Train: 17 of 91 component mentions, or 186.8 per 1,000. For all 2011 vehicles the figure is 91.7 per 1,000.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 2011 BMW X3 open?: 1 investigation has no closing date in the NHTSA file, of 1 that name this model year.