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exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (1)
Air bags: frontal
BMW IS RECALLING 200,000 MY 2006 3 SERIES SPORT SEAT, MY 2004-2006 5 SERIES STANDARD AND SPORT SEAT, AND MY 2004-2006 X3 PASSENGER VEHICLES. DEPENDING ON THE MANNER AND FREQUENCY OF THE FRONT PASSENGER'S ENTRY AND EXIT, SMALL CRACKS HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE MAT. IF THIS OCCURS, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE HEAD PROTECTION SYSTEM, WILL BE DEACTIVATED AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP AS WELL AS THE PASSENGER AIR BAG "ON-OFF" LAMP WILL BE ILLUMINATED.
Risk and remedy
Risk: IN THIS SITUATION THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY EVEN IF A SUFFICIENTLY SEVERE ACCIDENT WOULD OCCUR AND OCCUPANT PROTECTION PROVIDED BY THE SYSTEM WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REWORK THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAT SO THAT EXTERNAL FORCE APPLICATION TO THE SEAT DOES NOT CAUSE A CRACK TO THE MAT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 6, 2008. BMW WILL ALSO EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THESE VEHICLES TO 10 YEARS FROM FIRST REGISTRATION WITHOUT ANY MILEAGE LIMIT. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-525-7417.
Canadian recalls (4)
Show 4 Canadian recalls
Airbag
2024-07-03 · campaign 2024-392
Issue:
This recall applies to vehicles that may be equipped with a replacement sport or M-sport steering wheel that has a Takata airbag. Long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the propellant contained in the driver-front airbag. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. If the airbag inflator ruptures, fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants or cause damage to the airbag assembly, preventing its proper function.
Safety Risk:
If the vehicle is involved in a crash requiring an airbag deployment, the airbag inflator could rupture and create a risk of injury.
Corrective Actions:
BMW will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect and, if necessary, replace the driver-front airbag module.
To learn if your vehicle is affected by this recall, owners may:
• Visit <a href= https://www.bmw.ca/en/ssl/VehicleRecall.html> https://www.bmw.ca/en/ssl/VehicleRecall.html</a>
• Contact your preferred or local BMW Retailer
• Call BMW Customer Relations Recall Services at 1-855-217-3002
Label
2012-04-12 · campaign 2012-129
Certain vehicles fail to conform to Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Specifically, the compliance label does not indicate the wheel rim size, as required by the Standard. Correction: Due to the inconsequential nature of this non-compliance, no action will be taken.
Seats and restraints
2008-08-26 · campaign 2008-307
On certain vehicles, the front passenger seat occupant detection mat can fatigue during field usage depending on the seat configuration, vehicle geometry, manner and frequency of front passenger entry/exit. Over time micro cracks could develop in the side flanks of the mat, which could lead to a break of the conductive path and the system will recognize a failure and with exception of head protection system the front passenger air bag will be deactivated. The airbag On/Off lamp will be illuminated to make the occupants aware of the deactivation. Correction: The occupant detection mat will be granted a warranty extension of 10 years.
Label
2004-02-10 · campaign 2004-053 · 233 vehicles
On certain vehicles, the compliance label does not meet the requirements of CMVSS 120. The Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for the front axle is missing and the GAWR for the rear axle is incorrect. Correction: Dealer will install new correct labels.
Owner complaints (138)
Owners filed 138 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 BMW X3 (13 crashes, 13 fires, 17 injuries reported). Among 23 model years of this model, it ranks #4 for the most complaints (median 86).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Seats | 33 | |
| Air bags | 32 | |
| Electrical system | 18 | |
| Power train | 11 | |
| Engine and engine cooling | 11 | |
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | |
| Structure | 8 | |
| Visibility | 7 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2004 BMW X3.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2004 BMW X3 4-DR. w/SAB | – | – | – | – |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2004 BMW X3 version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| X3 2.5 L Manual 6-spd | 15 | 22 | 18 | $4,550 |
| X3 2.5 L Automatic (S5) | 15 | 22 | 17 | $4,850 |
| X3 3.0 L Manual 6-spd | 15 | 23 | 18 | $4,550 |
| X3 3.0 L Automatic (S5) | 14 | 21 | 17 | $4,850 |
Need this data in your app?
Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Explore the API →Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport
Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada).
Recalls updated 2026-10-30.