2016 BMW X3 problems
The 2016 BMW X3 has 120 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (26%) concerns engine. Next are electrical system (19%) and brakes (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 120 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 26% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 11 and 5
- Injuries and deaths
- 2 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 37,000 miles 51 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 16 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 11 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 8 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 3 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 8 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 4 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Of the 51 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 37,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 11 complaints mention a crash; 5 complaints mention a fire; 2 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2016 ranks 12th most-complained-about out of 22 model years of the BMW X3 with enough data (52 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 5 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Seatbelt pretensioner failing to holdback passenger on deccelleration on exit ramp at 4 degrees incline or decline from 65 to zero on controlled decceleration
My 8-year old daughter was sitting on rear passenger size seat on a booster seat with seat belt on. She first played with my son who was sitting on a read driver seat on a car seat. Then she fell asleep. In this process the seat belt some how got wrapped around her. When we stopped for a bathroom break we unbuckled the belt to find out that the belt was wrapped around here and we could not unwrap it. The more we tried to pull out the more tighter it got. She was in severe pain.
On 8/30/20,after sitting for an hour after a long drive, the car burst into flames and burned down two adjacent homes. The car was parked for an hour before it started to burn.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 BMW x3. While stationary, the vehicle accelerated rapidly without warning. The vehicle was taken to be repaired, but the dealer could not diagnose the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 13,000.
The contact owns a 2016 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure and drive train warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the timing chain guide failed which and caused a catastrophic engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.