Recall Register

2021 BMW X3: recalls and complaints

NHTSA advisory: park outsideCampaign 25V636000. NHTSA received the report on . 199,674 units. Electrical System / Starter Assembly / Relay

Remedy of campaign 25V636000, in the NHTSA record

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 became searchable on NHTSA.gov November 14, 2025.

Park-outside advisory: A mark on a recall campaign in the NHTSA recall file. This site shows the mark as NHTSA sets it.

NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for the 2021 BMW X3. The newest campaign is 26V056000. NHTSA received the report on 30 Jan 2026. The NHTSA record gives the component Electrical System / Starter Assembly. NHTSA has no complaint on file for this model year.

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, 26V056000, in the NHTSA record

Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2026. 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.
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 . Complaint file through . Recall file through .

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

10 campaigns, newest first. 597,640 units in total.

  • 26V056000Electrical System / Starter Assembly
  • 25V636000Electrical System / Starter Assembly / RelayAdvisory
  • 24V764000Structure
  • 24V534000Structure
  • 23V211000Seats
  • 21V199000Fuel System, Gasoline / Storage / Tank Assembly
  • 21V096000Back Over Prevention / Software
  • 20V598000Back Over Prevention / Sensing System / Camera
  • 20V601000Electrical System / Propulsion System / Traction Battery
  • 20V490000Electrical System / Propulsion System / Traction Battery

  1. 26V056000Received . 87,394 units.

    Electrical System / Starter Assembly

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    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, in the NHTSA record
    Fire increases the risk of injury.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2026. 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.

    Report filed by BMW of North America, LLC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  2. 25V636000Received . 199,674 units.

    Electrical System / Starter Assembly / RelayPark-outside advisory

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    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, in the NHTSA record
    A short circuit in the starter relay may increase the risk of a fire.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    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 became searchable on NHTSA.gov November 14, 2025.

    Report filed by BMW of North America, LLC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  3. 24V764000Received . 8,725 units.

    Structure

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    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, in the NHTSA record
    Interior rear cargo rail detachment during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    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.

    Report filed by BMW of North America, LLC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  4. 24V534000Received . 282,387 units.

    Structure

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    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, in the NHTSA record
    Interior cargo rail detachment during a rear crash can increase the risk of injury.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    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.

    Report filed by BMW of North America, LLC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  5. 23V211000Received . 51 units.

    Seats

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i xDrive, 2020-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, 2021 X3 xDrive30e, X4 xDrive30i, and X4M vehicles. The seat frame may not have been welded properly to the seat rails.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    An improperly welded seat frame may not properly restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Dealers will replace the seat frame and back rest, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2023. 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: .

  6. 21V199000Received . 17 units.

    Fuel System, Gasoline / Storage / Tank Assembly

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, and X4, and 2021 X4 xDrive30i vehicles. The inlet check valve weld may fail, allowing the filling pipe to separate from the fuel tank.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    Fuel may leak through the failed weld, increasing the risk of a fire.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall is scheduled to begin May 17, 2021. Owners were also contacted by telephone. To date, all repairs have been done. No further owner notification letters will be sent. 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: .

  7. 21V096000Received . 13,858 units.

    Back Over Prevention / Software

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, M550i, X4M, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5M, X5 M50i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, Alpina XB7, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, and 8 Series Coupe, Convertible and Grand Coupe, 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8, 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le, 745Le xDrive, X5 xDrive45e, X3 xDrive30e, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M50i, X6M, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 740i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, M760i Drive, M760Li xDrive, 750Li xDrive Alpina, Alpina B7 xDrive, and 2021 4 Series Coupe 430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive vehicles. When shifting into Reverse, a small portion of the rearview image may be obscured, or the screen may not illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the missing or reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. 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: .

  8. 20V598000Received . 312 units.

    Back Over Prevention / Sensing System / Camera

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 X3 sDrive 30i, X3 xDrive 30i, X3M 40i, X3 xDrive 30e, X4 xDrive 30i, X4M 40i, 530i, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 550e, 550e xDrive, and 550e iPerformance vehicles. A small portion of the rearview image may be slightly obscured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, program the rearview camera with updated software. The recall began November 18, 2020. 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: .

  9. 20V601000Received . 4,509 units.

    Electrical System / Propulsion System / Traction Battery

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 530e iPerformance and X3 xDrive30e and MINI Cooper Countryman All4 SE, 2020 BMW i8, and 2021 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le xDrive and X5 xDrive45e vehicles. Debris may have entered one or more of the hybrid battery cells during their production.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    The debris could result in a short-circuit, increasing the risk of fire or injury.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    BMW will inspect and, if necessary, replace the battery module free of charge. The remedy is currently being developed. Until the remedy is completed, drivers are instructed to not charge their vehicles. Drivers are instructed to not drive in manual mode, sport mode, and to not use the shift paddles. Owners were notified of the safety risk October 23, 2020. The recall began November 24, 2020. 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: .

  10. 20V490000Received . 713 units.

    Electrical System / Propulsion System / Traction Battery

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 330e and X5 xDrive45e, 2020-2021 X3 xDrive30e, and 2020 MINI Countryman SE ALL4 vehicles. Loose welding beads may form a conductive path between the hybrid battery cells which could lead to a short-circuit.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    A short-circuited hybrid battery may increase the risk of a fire.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the battery modules, free of charge. BMW issued owners an interim notification on October 16, 2020. Although potentially affected BMW owners received interim owner notification letters, all potentially affected BMW owner vehicles have been remedied; therefore, BMW Final owner notification letters will not be necessary. 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: .

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

The NHTSA complaint file has no complaint for this model year.

Investigations

The NHTSA investigation file has no investigation that names this model year.

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.

  1. 20041
  2. 20051
  3. 20062
  4. 20073
  5. 20083
  6. 20093
  7. 20104
  8. 20114
  9. 20122
  10. 20137
  11. 20146
  12. 20157
  13. 20165
  14. 20176
  15. 201811
  16. 201910
  17. 202016
  18. 202110
  19. 20227
  20. 20234
  21. 20243
  22. 20259
  23. 20262

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

Official channels

Cite this page

Recall Register. 2021 BMW X3: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/bmw/x3/2021/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through .

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 2021 BMW X3?
597,640 units in 10 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. 10 of them name the 2021 model year.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 2021 BMW X3 open?
The NHTSA investigation file has no investigation that names this model year.