BMW
BMW X3 years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2019, 2021 and 2022. Best years: 2023.
The 2019, 2021 and 2022 BMW X3 draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2019 has 170 complaints (21 for each year on the road), 2021 has 111 complaints (18 for each year on the road) and 2022 has 78 complaints (16 for each year on the road), against a median of 9 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2019 is overheating (29 reports).
- 511complaints
- 32recall campaigns
- 5model years with a page
Newest report Sep 28, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2019
Most reported: overheating (29 reports, median 70,000 miles) and infotainment (28 reports, median 62,000 miles).
2021
Most reported: infotainment (10 reports).
2022
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Best years
2023
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025 and 2026.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2019 has the most complaints of any BMW X3 year here: 170 of 511 (33%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem changes over time: stalling in 2015; overheating in 2019; infotainment from 2020 to 2021. Pooled across the years, half of the 20 owners who gave a mileage for infotainment were under about 50,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 8% of BMW X3 complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2015, 15 of its 104 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- Every model year where owners report infotainment also has a recall on the same system. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Complaints are still climbing. 2025 brought 109, the most of any year so far. So far in 2026, 116 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: OWS Photography, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
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Photo: OWS Photography, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
_Washington_DC_Metro_Area,_USA_(1).jpg){kind=link}
Photo: OWS Photography, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
_Washington_DC_Metro_Area,_USA_(1).jpg){kind=link}
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2014 (83), 2016 (82), 2017 (92), 2018 (75), 2022 (78), 2023 (15), 2024 (38), 2025 (38).
Year by year
2026 BMW X3
17 owner complaints so far; too new to call. 4 reports involved a crash and 1 person was hurt. 2 recalls, including 26V-524 on the steering system and 25V-857 on the steering system.
2021 BMW X3 avoid
111 owner complaints, 18 for each year on the road (2.0 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (10 reports). 5 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 10 recalls, including 26V-056 on the electrical system and 25V-636 on the electrical system.
2020 BMW X3
109 owner complaints, 16 for each year on the road (1.7 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (11 reports) and drivetrain problems (10 reports). 2 reports involved a crash. 16 recalls, including 19V-678 on the suspension system (do not drive) and 25V-636 on the electrical system.
2019 BMW X3 avoid
170 owner complaints, 21 for each year on the road (2.3 times the model median). Most reported: overheating (29 reports, median 70,000 miles), infotainment (28 reports, median 62,000 miles) and stalling (12 reports). 5 reports involved a crash and 3 people were hurt. 10 recalls, including 24V-764 on the structure and 24V-534 on the structure.
2015 BMW X3
104 owner complaints, 9 for each year on the road (0.9 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (17 reports, median 90,000 miles), misfire (15 reports, median 81,000 miles) and overheating (14 reports). 8 reports involved a crash and 3 people were hurt. 7 recalls, including 24V-608 on the engine and 21V-907 on the fuel system.
Recalls that cover several model years
The attachment for the interior cargo rail may become damaged in a rear crash and result in the cargo rail detaching.
The attachment for the rear cargo rail may become damaged in a rear crash and result in the cargo rail detaching.
When shifting into Reverse, a small portion of the rearview image may be obscured, or the screen may not illuminate.
The engine starter relay may corrode, causing the relay to overheat and short circuit.
The seat frame may not have been welded properly to the seat rails.
The instrument panel casing may not have been tightened properly to the passenger air bag.
Questions
What BMW X3 years should you avoid?
The 2019, 2021 and 2022 BMW X3 draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2019 has 170 complaints (21 for each year on the road), 2021 has 111 complaints (18 for each year on the road) and 2022 has 78 complaints (16 for each year on the road), against a median of 9 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2019 is overheating (29 reports).
What are the best years for the BMW X3?
The 2023 draws the fewest complaints for its age: 15, or 4 for each year on the road. Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the BMW X3?
Infotainment, with 49 reports across the 5 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2020 and 2021.
How many recalls does the BMW X3 have?
32 recall campaigns cover the BMW X3 model years 2015 to 2026 on this site. The widest, 21V-096 on the backup camera, covers 3 model years.
How many BMW X3 complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
8% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2015 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for infotainment on the BMW X3?
Yes, on every model year where owners report it.