MODELYEARINDEX

BMW X3

762 complaints across 11 scored model years and 57 recall campaigns.

Which years to avoid

Ownership label · BMW X3 Full report
D
Grade 2011–2021
2019 vs model median 1.6×
Model median3× median
Body & Interior 20
Electrical 17
Brakes 8
Avoid

2013 · 2019

Best

2011 · 2012

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2011
0.54× 29 B
2012
0.54× 17 B
2013
1.46× 64 D
2014
0.42× 23 B
2015
1.14× 46 D
2016
1.00× 39 C
2017
1.24× 42 D
2018
0.78× 32 C
2019
1.62× 92 D
2020
0.88× 58 C
2021
1.51× 88 D
2022 P
2.28× 104 F
2023 P
0.34× 13 B
2024 P
1.06× 48 C
2025 P
1.49× 67 D

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

Recalls

57 campaigns on record, 2 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
17V683000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV) 2011 740,561
24V608000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:PUMP 2013–2017 720,796
26V438000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY 2021–2024 318,495
24V534000 STRUCTURE 2018–2023 282,387
19V684000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2018–2020 257,473
25V636000 Park it ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY:RELAY 2020–2022 199,674
16V333000 CHILD SEAT:LATCH STRAP 2011–2017 188,668
23V707000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE 2011 157,796

+ 49 further campaigns

Others in Compact SUVs

Same body and size class. Each grade describes that model against its own history — these are not ranked against each other.

Model Years to avoid Grade
Acura RDX
20192020
C
Audi Q5
20182021
C
Audi SQ5
none flagged
C
Buick Envision
2017
C
Cadillac SRX
2013
C
Cadillac XT5
2017
C
Chevrolet Blazer
none flagged
C
Chevrolet Equinox
2011
C

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2019 X3
Complaints in window
92
Severity-weighted
123
Model median (weighted)
76
vs model median
1.62×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
10
Open investigations
0
Score 44.6 D