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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 (10)
Park outsideElectrical system: starter assembly, relay
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 BMW 330i, 2019-2022 BMW Z4, 2020-2022 BMW 530i, X3, X4, Toyota Supra, 2021-2022 BMW 430i, 430i Convertible, and 2022 BMW 230i vehicles. The engine starter relay may corrode, causing the relay to overheat and short circuit.
Risk and remedy
Risk: A short circuit in the starter relay may increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is complete. Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 6, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov November 14, 2025.
Electrical system: starter assembly
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Toyota Supra, 2022-2023 2 Series Coupe, 2021-2024 5 Series (xDrive), 2021-2022 Z4, 2022-2024 4 Series (Gran Coupe), 2021-2024 4 Series (Convertible and xDrive Convertible), 2021-2023 4 Series (Coupe), 2021-2024 3 Series, 2021-2023 X4, 2021-2024 X3 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of all models. The engine starter may overheat and catch fire due to wear on an internal component.
Risk and remedy
Risk: Fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning March 24, 2026.
Structure
BMW 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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: Interior rear cargo rail detachment during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers 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.
Structure
BMW 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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: Interior cargo rail detachment during a rear crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers 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.
Seats
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i xDrive, 2020-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, 2021 X3 xDrive30e, X4 xDrive30i, and X4M vehicles. The seat frame may not have been welded properly to the seat rails.
Risk and remedy
Risk: An improperly welded seat frame may not properly restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat frame and back rest, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Fuel system, gasoline: storage, tank assembly
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, and X4, and 2021 X4 xDrive30i vehicles. The inlet check valve weld may fail, allowing the filling pipe to separate from the fuel tank.
Risk and remedy
Risk: Fuel may leak through the failed weld, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall is scheduled to begin May 17, 2021. Owners were also contacted by telephone. To date, all repairs have been done. No further owner notification letters will be sent. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Back over prevention: software
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, M550i, X4M, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5M, X5 M50i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, Alpina XB7, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, and 8 Series Coupe, Convertible and Grand Coupe, 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8, 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le, 745Le xDrive, X5 xDrive45e, X3 xDrive30e, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M50i, X6M, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 740i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, M760i Drive, M760Li xDrive, 750Li xDrive Alpina, Alpina B7 xDrive, and 2021 4 Series Coupe 430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive vehicles. When shifting into Reverse, a small portion of the rearview image may be obscured, or the screen may not illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk and remedy
Risk: If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the missing or reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Back over prevention: sensing system, camera
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 X3 sDrive 30i, X3 xDrive 30i, X3M 40i, X3 xDrive 30e, X4 xDrive 30i, X4M 40i, 530i, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 550e, 550e xDrive, and 550e iPerformance vehicles. A small portion of the rearview image may be slightly obscured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk and remedy
Risk: If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, program the rearview camera with updated software. The recall began November 18, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Electrical system: propulsion system, traction battery
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 530e iPerformance and X3 xDrive30e and MINI Cooper Countryman All4 SE, 2020 BMW i8, and 2021 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le xDrive and X5 xDrive45e vehicles. Debris may have entered one or more of the hybrid battery cells during their production.
Risk and remedy
Risk: The debris could result in a short-circuit, increasing the risk of fire or injury.
Remedy: BMW will inspect and, if necessary, replace the battery module free of charge. The remedy is currently being developed. Until the remedy is completed, drivers are instructed to not charge their vehicles. Drivers are instructed to not drive in manual mode, sport mode, and to not use the shift paddles. Owners were notified of the safety risk October 23, 2020. The recall began November 24, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Electrical system: propulsion system, traction battery
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 330e and X5 xDrive45e, 2020-2021 X3 xDrive30e, and 2020 MINI Countryman SE ALL4 vehicles. Loose welding beads may form a conductive path between the hybrid battery cells which could lead to a short-circuit.
Risk and remedy
Risk: A short-circuited hybrid battery may increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the battery modules, free of charge. BMW issued owners an interim notification on October 16, 2020. Although potentially affected BMW owners received interim owner notification letters, all potentially affected BMW owner vehicles have been remedied; therefore, BMW Final owner notification letters will not be necessary. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Canadian recalls (10)
Show 10 Canadian recalls
Engine
2026-07-08 · campaign 2026-331
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the engine starter may not have been manufactured properly. As a result, the starter could overheat.
Note: This recall is an expansion of Transport Canada recall no. 2026-040.
Safety Risk:
A starter that overheats can create the risk of a fire.
Corrective Actions:
To reduce the safety risk, BMW recommends not using the remote start function and not leaving the vehicle unattended with the engine running until the recall repairs have been completed. BMW will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the engine starter.
Engine
2026-01-30 · campaign 2026-040
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the engine starter may not have been manufactured properly. As a result, the starter could overheat.
Safety Risk:
A starter that overheats can create the risk of a fire.
Corrective Actions:
To reduce the safety risk, BMW recommends not using the remote start function and not leaving the vehicle unattended with the engine running until the recall repairs have been completed. BMW will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the engine starter.
Electrical
2025-09-23 · campaign 2025-499
Issue:
On certain vehicles, water could leak into the starter relay and cause it to corrode. If this happens, the relay could short circuit and the starter could overheat.
Safety Risk:
A short circuit and/or a starter that overheats can create a fire risk, even while the vehicle is parked and turned off.
Corrective Actions:
To reduce the safety risk, BMW advises that you should park your vehicle outdoors and away from other vehicles or structures until the recall repairs have been completed. BMW will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the engine starter.
Structure
2024-10-15 · campaign 2024-609 · 557 vehicles
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the recall repairs completed by a BMW dealer during recall 51 84 24RC (Transport Canada recall no. 2024-410) may not be effective. As a result, a second repair is required.
On certain vehicles, the cargo area tie down rails could detach in a rear crash.
Safety Risk:
A cargo rail that detaches in a crash could create a risk of injury to rear passengers.
Corrective Actions:
BMW will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the fasteners that secure the cargo rails to the body.
Label
2024-08-15 · campaign 2024-544
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the tire and loading information label does not list that there is no spare tire in both official languages. The label reads as "NONE" when it should read as "NONE / AUCUN". Canadian regulations require the information to be listed on the label in both English and French.
Safety Risk:
This error does not affect vehicle safety.
Corrective Actions:
This is not a recall. The company has corrected the tire and loading information label for all new vehicles.
Structure
2024-07-17 · campaign 2024-410
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the cargo area tie down rails could detach in a rear crash.
Safety Risk:
A cargo rail that detaches in a crash could create a risk of injury to rear passengers.
Corrective Actions:
BMW will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the fasteners that secure the cargo rails to the body.
High voltage
2021-09-24 · campaign 2021-596 · 170 vehicles
Issue:
On certain plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), debris may have entered the high-voltage battery during production. As a result, the battery could short circuit.
Note: This recall is for potentially affected vehicles that did not have battery cell module(s) replaced as a part of TC Recall No. 2020-464. Under this new recall the battery cell module(s) must be replaced.
Safety Risk:
A short circuit in the battery could create a fire risk.
Corrective Actions:
BMW will notify owners by mail and inform you to take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the battery cell module(s) of the high-voltage battery. BMW recommends that you should not charge your vehicle and that you should not drive the vehicle in manual mode, sport mode or use the shift paddles until the recall repairs have been completed. BMW also recommends that you should drain the high-voltage battery via iDrive, by setting/leaving the charging state at 30%, until the recall repairs have been completed.
Brakes
2021-08-03 · campaign 2021-479
Issue:
On certain vehicles, a software problem could cause the vacuum pump to be damaged during engine starting. If this happens, there could be a loss of brake assist. This can cause an increase in brake pedal effort and increase the distance needed to stop the vehicle.
Safety Risk:
A sudden increase in brake pedal force could lead to an increased stopping distance. This could increase the risk of a crash.
Corrective Actions:
BMW will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to update the engine management software.
Visual system
2021-02-18 · campaign 2021-078
Issue:
On certain vehicles, a software problem could cause the rearview camera image not to appear correctly in the central display. Canadian regulations require the rearview image to display when the transmission is shifted into reverse gear.
Safety Risk:
A rearview camera image that does not display correctly could reduce a driver's ability to see behind the vehicle while backing up. This could increase the risk of a crash.
Corrective Actions:
BMW will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to update the rearview camera software, if necessary.
High voltage
2020-09-30 · campaign 2020-464 · 194 vehicles
Issue:
On certain plug-In hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), debris may have entered the high-voltage battery during production. As a result, the battery could short circuit.
Safety Risk:
A short circuit in the battery could create a fire risk.
Corrective Actions:
BMW will notify owners by mail and inform you to take your vehicle to a dealer to test the high-voltage battery. The cell module(s) will be replaced, if necessary. BMW recommends that you should not charge your vehicle and that you should not drive the vehicle in manual mode, sport mode or use the shift paddles until the recall repairs have been completed. BMW also recommends that you should drain the high-voltage battery via iDrive, by setting/leaving the charging state at 30%, until the recall repairs have been completed.
Owner complaints (113)
Owners filed 113 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 BMW X3 (5 crashes, 2 fires, 2 injuries reported). Among 23 model years of this model, it ranks #5 for the most complaints (median 86).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Electrical system | 34 | |
| Unknown or other | 26 | |
| Engine | 23 | |
| Structure | 11 | |
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | |
| Service brakes | 5 | |
| Exterior lighting | 5 | |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 5 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2021 BMW X3.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2021 BMW X3 SUV RWD | 5★ | 5★ | 5★ | 4★ |
| 2021 BMW X3 SUV AWD | 5★ | 5★ | 5★ | 4★ |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2021 BMW X3 version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| X3 M 3.0 L Automatic (S8) | 14 | 19 | 16 | $5,150 |
| X3 M Competition 3.0 L Automatic (S8) | 14 | 19 | 16 | $5,150 |
| X3 M40i 3.0 L Automatic (S8) | 21 | 27 | 23 | $3,550 |
| X3 sDrive30i 2.0 L Automatic (S8) | 25 | 29 | 27 | $3,050 |
| X3 xDrive30e 2.0 L Automatic (S8) | 21 | 27 | 24 | $3,400 |
| X3 xDrive30i 2.0 L Automatic (S8) | 23 | 29 | 25 | $3,300 |
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.