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2018 BMW X3

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
35 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns11
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA73
Crash ratingNHTSA overall—
Fuel economybest combined, EPA25 mpg
20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2018 BMW X3 is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the X3 xDrive30i, is EPA-rated at 25 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 73 complaints, most often about the electrical system.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
X3 xDrive30iGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo222925$3,100
X3 M40iGasAWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo202723$3,350

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39682, 39683.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 BMW X3 is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (11)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Structure

8,725 vehicles
ProblemBMW 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.RiskInterior rear cargo rail detachment during a crash can increase the risk of injury.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 24V764000reported Oct 15, 2024BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Structure

282,387 vehicles
ProblemBMW 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.RiskInterior cargo rail detachment during a rear crash can increase the risk of injury.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 24V534000reported Jul 17, 2024BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Air Bags

138 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2019 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i and 2019 X4 xDrive30i, and X4 M40i vehicles. The front passenger seat occupant classification system may have been improperly assembled, which could result in the misclassification of the seat as unoccupied, and deactivate the front air bag.RiskA deactivated front air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.FixDealers will replace the seat foam, which includes the occupant classification system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 21V521000reported Jul 8, 2021BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Electrical System

15 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 X4 xDrive30i and X4 M40i, and 2018-2020 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X3M vehicles. The instrument panel casing may not have been tightened properly to the passenger air bag.RiskIn the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, the air bag could damage the instrument panel and cause small pieces of the panel to strike the driver or other occupants, increasing the risk of injury.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the instrument panel casing, free of charge. The recall began May 15, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 20V152000reported Mar 18, 2020BMW of North America, LLC
○minor

Back Over Prevention

257,473 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 530e, 530e xDrive, X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive, X3 M40i, X3 M, and 2019-2020 X4 xDrive, X4 M40i, X4 M, X7 xDrive, X7 M50i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 8 Series Convertible and Coupe 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, X5 sDrive, X5 xDrive, X5 M50i, X6 xDrive, X6 M50i, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, Z4 sDrive, Z4 M40i, 740Le xDrive and 745Le xDrive, 2018-2019 640i xDrive Gran Turismo and Rolls-Royce Phantom, 2019 M850i xDrive Gran Coupe and Rolls-Royce Cullinan and 2020 Toyota Supra vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjustedRiskThe lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
NHTSA campaign 19V684000reported Sep 27, 2019BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Seats

20 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2019 X3 sDrive30i, xDrive30i and M40i and 2019 X4 xDrive30i and M40i vehicles. The front seatback frames may have been improperly welded, allowing the seatback to unexpectedly fold forward or rearward.RiskIn the event of a crash, there is an increased risk of injury if the seatback folds forward or rearward.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front seats, free of charge. The recall began September 27, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 19V563000reported Jul 31, 2019BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

5,594 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2019 BMW X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i and certain 2019 X4 xDrive30i and X4 M40i vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have an insufficient coating, potentially reducing rear brake performance.RiskA reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the rear brake circuit, free of charge. The recall began August 31, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 18V453000reported Jul 6, 2018BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Exterior Lighting

5 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW X3 xDrive30i and X3 M40i vehicles. The rear turn signals on the outboard side panel will illuminate red, while the inboard turn signals simultaneously illuminate amber. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."RiskTurn signals that flash multiple colors may confuse other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear turn signal lights, and replace if necessary, free of charge. The recall began August 20, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 18V431000reported Jun 21, 2018BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Lane Departure

51 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2019 BMW X3 xDrive30i, X3 sDrive30i, and X3 M40i vehicles equipped with the "Active Lane Keeping Assistant" option. The steering wheel may be incompatible with the lane keeping assistant function and may not detect if the driver's hands are off the wheel.RiskIf the sensors do not properly detect the driver's hands are off the wheel, the driver may not be alerted by one or more warning signals, increasing the risk of a crash.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the steering wheel, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on July 19, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 18V374000reported Jun 6, 2018BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Structure

17,008 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW X3 xDrive30i and X3 M40i vehicles. The rear spoiler may not have been properly attached during assembly, or may be missing screws, possibly causing the spoiler to detach while driving.RiskIf the spoiler detaches while driving, it can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the spoiler, correcting its attachment as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 1, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 18V154000reported Mar 7, 2018BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Electrical System

3,188 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 230i, 230i xDrive, M240i, M240i xDrive, M2, and X3 xDrive 30i SAV vehicles. These vehicles may have an error in the software for the instrument panel, causing the display to not properly illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Control and Displays."RiskIf the display does not illuminate during start up or does not illuminate various control and warning symbols while driving, it can increase the risk of a crash.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster display software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 8, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 17V719000reported Nov 15, 2017BMW of North America, LLC

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
73complaints filed

4 involved a crash · 2 a fire · 2 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2018: 7 · 2019: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2024: 14 · 2025: 24 · 2026: 7

Most-cited components

Electrical System20
Engine16
Unspecified12
Structure8
Steering7
Suspension5

What owners describe

“One morning, I tried to back my door out of garage and I couldn’t. I found front tire could not be turned. Found that front tire steering tie rod is snapped into 2 pieces. Further inspection showed that the steering rod had some deflects before broken. I took the photos to show the evidence.”Nov 29, 2024 · Suspension · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2018 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V534000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the is…”Nov 15, 2024 · Structure · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2018 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V534000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the is…”Oct 22, 2024 · Structure · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Other X3 model years

B

2026 BMW X3

2 recalls · 16 complaints

F

2025 BMW X3

9 recalls · 34 complaints

D

2024 BMW X3

4 recalls · 36 complaints

D

2023 BMW X3

4 recalls · 12 complaints

F

2022 BMW X3

8 recalls · 70 complaints

F

2021 BMW X3

11 recalls · 106 complaints

F

2020 BMW X3

16 recalls · 109 complaints

F

2019 BMW X3

10 recalls · 167 complaints

F

2017 BMW X3

6 recalls · 92 complaints

F

2016 BMW X3

5 recalls · 82 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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