Power Train Problems of BMW X3 - part 1

*rear differential bolt and bushing failure two times in less than twelve months. Rear drive making loud banging noises. Vehicle not able to drive. Vehicle rear drive failed as vehicle was in motion. I was traveling at high rate of speed, this could have cause the vehicle to lose control. *problem was reported to dealer and fixed the first time. The second time the dealer refused to fix the problem. *vehicle was inspected by dealer and I was blamed for the bolt and bushing failure, with no proof of any fault or abusive driving. Warning lamps or messages were alerted to warn of any danger or damage to vehicle. *first incident was January 14th, 2025. Second incident was August 28th, 2025.

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I am submitting this report to highlight a serious safety defect involving premature timing chain failures in BMW vehicles. The case relates to a 2013 BMW X3, but the problem is widely documented across multiple BMW models from this production era. The timing chain is intended to last the lifetime of the engine. If it stretches, loosens, or fails, the engine can shut down immediately, causing sudden loss of power steering, power brakes, and overall control of the vehicle. This creates an extreme risk of accidents at highway speeds or in traffic. Unlike tires or brakes, this is not a normal wear component and should not fail under ordinary driving conditions. In this vehicle, the timing chain issue was identified at under 72,000 miles. A timing chain should last well over 400,000 miles under normal operation. The premature failure reflects a design flaw, not normal aging or maintenance. The vehicle had recently undergone major servicing at a BMW authorized dealer. At that time, the timing belt and other components were replaced at significant cost. The dealership did not disclose any timing chain concerns during that service. Only shortly afterward, during a recall-related visit, did they report that the timing chain required replacement, with a repair estimate of several thousand dollars. This matter was raised with BMW of north America, including a direct letter to its ceo. BMW acknowledged receipt but declined to take responsibility, treating the matter as outside warranty coverage rather than as a safety defect. The timing chain issue is widely reported, and BMW is aware of it. The sudden engine failure that can result from this defect presents a major safety hazard that warrants NHTSA’s attention.

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I own a 2011 BMW X3 with an n55 engine and am experiencing vanos-related issues consistent with TSB sib 11 02 13 and recall 23v-707. While my VIN isn’t currently listed, my vehicle falls within the affected model years, and I’m seeing identical dme fault codes (130e11, 120408) and drivability symptoms. I’m concerned about potential engine damage and request an inspection and consideration for goodwill repair or inclusion in the recall.

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On April 26, 2025, while driving my 2022 BMW X3, the vehicle suddenly emitted smoke and caught fire. Fortunately, all five passengers, including myself, were able to exit the car before it became fully engulfed in flames. The car was destroyed and is a total loss. The BMW app later displayed a “drivetrain malfunction” message, which did not appear until after the fire had already started. The vehicle was still under the manufacturer’s 48-month new vehicle warranty and had no open recalls at the time. Routine maintenance and service had been performed at authorized BMW dealerships. I am concerned this fire may have resulted from a manufacturing defect, especially in light of similar reports and recalls involving fuel rail cracks or leakage in this model/year. No injuries were sustained, but this was a terrifying and traumatic incident, and I am now left with significant financial loss. What I am requesting: I ask that NHTSA investigate whether this fire was caused by a manufacturing defect common to the 2022 BMW X3 and whether a broader recall or corrective action is warranted.

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* in 2018, the car started automatically going into park when the engine is running but at a stop (e. G. Stop light). This created a safety issue because the gear had to be reengaged into drive * it was repaired under warranty by BMW * it started reoccuring this year. We have stopped driving it because it creates a safety issue * BMW has refused to fix this (though it was previously addressed under warranty). In addition, they have said it may cost thousands or 10's of thousands of dollars to fix because they do not know the problem (could be camshaft sensor or mechatronics or something else). * the problem has been confirmed by BMW * we cannot risk the car not being in gear and getting rear-ended because it takes a while to move it back to drive. * no warnings or any mesages * we have already spent money at the dealer replacing unnecessary parts because they thought it would fix the problem (e. G. Batteries) * the car is available for inspection on request.

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I was entering 4-lane highway from a side street. While accelerating, the engine suddenly stopped. The dashboard went black, except for a red outline of the car. In the second or two that I was looking for a place to get off the highway, the car restarted, and all indicators returned to normal on the dash. I completed my errands without incident. Since the original incident on Monday, [xxx], I have driven the car on several short errands without incident. I believe this incident may be related to your recall 25v-202. Thank you [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Car suddenly wouldnt start and gave drivetrain malfunction. Had to get towed to dealer. Car is a 2025 X3 that is less than a month old and 600 miles driven so practically brand new.

I was driving on the interstate [xxx] when the car (2015 X3 BMW xdrive28d) went into neutral out of nowhere and the car completely stopped and never came back on. I was just about to get off of the next exit and did not make it I was stuck in the middle of the interstate scared no one would pull over to help me it was dark when all of this was taking place cars were speeding and would come up on the car at the last minute to go around almost causing a accident once they realized the car wouldn’t start. When trying to see if the car would turn back on it wouldn’t things came up on the screen saying power train along with the check engine light and some smoke was coming from underneath the hood it was also saying battery not charging. I had to wait 2hrs for a tow truck to get the car back to my house and the police never came. On [xxx] I then had the car towed to BMW dealership (BMW of bloomfield) in new jersey where the vehicle is currently at they have told me it was a fuel pump issue. This has never happened to me before until the night of [xxx]. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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There has been no communication from BMW regarding the engine coolant pump recall besides the initial notice of the recall. I have not been able to drive my vehicle for almost 3 months because the engine coolant pump could leak onto electrical components and cause a fire. I have been unable to obtain a loaner vehicle during this time and this is affecting my livelihood.

As I was backing up, my car suddenly accelerated. I was shocked and tried to brake as fast as I could. I did slow down, but still hit a car that was parked nearby. This happened at a gas station. I did have the codes read, but nothing showed up. There were no warning indicators. At first I thought it was a driver error on my part, but after a great deal of thought and internet searching, I believe this to be car issue. I do have the surveillance security camera video from the gas station.

The contact owns a 2013 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle, with the drivetrain warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a stretched timing chain. The contact was informed that the timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

I have reached out to the manufacturer for a solution and they said to wait till there is a remedy. I’m scared to drive this car for fear that something could happen to me or my family.

I have a 2014 X3 xdrive28i with 114, 000 miles. On August 4th 2024 while I was going 15 miles per hour on a residential road, when my idrive instrument notification panel displayed "drivetrain malfunction! pullover shut off engine". I immediately came to a stop and turned off the engine, I was unable to re-start it afterwards. I had it towed to my local ralley BMW dealer, where it then restarted after being removed from the flatbed tow truck. They were unable to determine the cause of the issue. They did a software update and told me that was probably all it was. I soon found out there is a massive issue with the timing chain & chain guides that can cause the timing to skip, resulting in premature shutdown or catastrophic engine failure. I took it to a reputable independent shop who later identified that the timing chain had excessive slack and was not able to be adjusted for proper tension, due to the catastrophic failure of the timing guides. Required repairs will cost upwards of $4,000. 00, which I am currently in the process of completing.

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The differential mounting bolt will fail causing your differential to fall which breaks your driveshaft your transfer case and your exhaust system. This has been reported in well over 100 cars there is no warning light if driving at interstate speeds and this happens it could be catastrophic.

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The contact owns a 2018 BMW X3. The contact stated while his wife was driving 65 mph, a message advising to stop driving was displayed, and the vehicle simultaneously shifted into neutral(n) independently. The vehicle stalled in the middle of the highway and failed to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. The message advising to drive with caution was displayed after several minutes, and the contact was able to continue driving upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking from a hose. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that excessive engine temperature could have damaged the cylinder head and the rod bearings. The dealer recommended replacing the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that his son-in-law then towed the vehicle to another facility, where the vehicle was diagnosed by a mechanic; however, no engine failure or coolant leak were found. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 152,942.

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Driver side drive shaft fell off while driving on the highway. Very dangerous, merging from one highway in onto another in the middle of gridlock. No lights on prior to failure, just completely snapped off, ripped thru my oil pan and coolant hoses. Was shown the damage when I brought it to a repair shop.

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Summary of complaint: we own a 2007 BMW X3 SUV that we have taken to the BMW mt. Laurel NJ dealership for service since we bought the car over five years ago. On August 15th 2023, we took the car for a scheduled service and oil change. We paid $3000 + and brought the car back home first week of September when the car was purportedly repaired. My husband noticed that the car was not driving quite well. The steering was tight. When we called BMW they told us it might take a few drives for things to get back to normal. Then our 29 yr old daughter came from nyc where she resides to visit is for the weekend. On Sunday sept 10th 2023, she went on an errand for us to moorestown area. At a stop sign when she was not moving the car, the car started a spin in all directions. The oncoming vehicles thankfully avoided hitting her and she was able to come to a stop. Our daughter was terrified. After calming down she called to let us know what happened. She was so shaken up she barely managed to drive back home. We then called BMW right away when they opened on Monday and told them what happened. They came to pick up the car from our house to check it out and see why it spun out of control in circles. Then the service dept called and said the car spun out of control due to a transfer case issue. I then questioned them why they did not properly diagnose this initially instead of us wasting $3000+ on repairs and still the car was not safe to drive. I then contacted robert durante the asst service manager and he has not been too nice. BMW should do the right thing. I just paid over $3000 for car repairs in September and car did a spin out on sept 10th less than two weeks after repairs was completed. The car was worse off when repairs was completed than when I brought it in. Way I see it, an inexperienced mechanic or a negligent mechanic worked on our car. I have never had any problems with repairing our car with the dealer service department till this incident.

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The contact owns a 2012 BMW X3. The contact stated that after his wife parked the vehicle, she shifted the gear into the park (p) position however, after his wife exit the vehicle, the vehicle inadvertently rolled and crashed into a post without warning. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. No police report was filed. The contact notified aaa and upon inspection, the contact was informed that the was shifted in the park (p) position. The vehicle had not yet been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

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Rear differential bolt failure: failure has not happened yet, but will happen eventually with enough mileage as seen with many other BMW X3m vehicles. Problem is with the rear differential bolt. The bolt is prone to shearing or snapping, noises may be heard from differential up until failure occurs at some point. Once this occurs it can wreak havoc on the differential and associated parts and cause thousands of dollars worth of damage if you are outside of the warranty period. The bolt needs to be stronger or something needs to be added to the bolt area to lessen the movement of the differential under power. If bolt is to snap on the road this will cause safety issues as you will lose power and potentially break many things on vehicle that could cause road debris and also require you to pull over immediately. Problem can't be reproduced as it's a single bolt that can fail at any time. No inspections have taken place, no warning lights or problems before hand. However, some may hear noises in the rear differential under power.

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Severe clunk while in reverse probably coming from rear differential.

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Was driving the vehicle home and while driving I heard a loud pop and a thump. Had the vehicle towed home to see that the real differential bolt had sheared off the head!.

The issue is with the rear differential carrier bolt, part # 33176760336. This bolt shears at the hex head and causes the differential assembly to misalign with the rest of the driveline components and causes further failures of the driveshaft and other items. Just in the past month I have seen several people post on the BMW X3m facebook groups and also on internet forums about their broken bolt causing issues. The oem bolt is a 10. 9 grade bolt that does not appear to be able to take the stress put on it for daily driving. My car is exhibiting symptoms that others have heard in their cars before the failure occurred, clunking when putting the car into drive or reverse. This can also be heard while going into second gear and driving at 5-20mph on light throttle then letting off the gas pedal and getting back on, this will cause the differential to clunk back onto the bolt and off. This is a failure due to a simple bolt component that could be enhanced by BMW to a higher tensile strength to avoid this situation from happening on the highway.

The contact owns a 2022 BMW X3. The contact stated that while accelerated at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The service vehicle warning light illuminated. The contact then stated that a message displayed on the dash indicating “drivetrain malfunction”. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 11,712.

After taking off from a stop light, heard a loud bang and after taking it to the dealer it turns out to be a broken rear right axle and diff retaining bolt. My car is a 2022 my with 20k miles on it. This was the first time I have done a "hard launch". The car is bone stock, with no modifications whatsoever and all maintenance and repairs done at the BMW dealership. I am going after a warranty claim as this should be covered.

Consistently breaking differential bolt that hold the rear differential in place, very widespread issue as well as being consistently noted in forums. Also a high number of differential completely failing across all years. Mine failed recently, two other vehicles at the same dealership had a broken differential. There needs to be a recall on both of these issues.

The rear differential bolt is a known failure point on these cars. I see it time and time again where there is a clunk noise coming from the rear of the car and sure enough, the bolt has broken on the rear differential and leaves the car undriveable. BMW has said that they are unable to do anything without NHTSA informing them of the issue. There needs to be a recall or active service bulletin to address this issue. This failure is not a matter of “if”, it is a matter of “when”. There needs to be a stronger bolt in place otherwise it is a near $5000 repair to replace the rear differential if not covered under warranty.

Drivetrain malfunction popped up and the car cut off and went into neutral while driving on the road which almost led us to lose control and wreck. Many issues with the fuel pump.

The differential is making clicking noises at low speed especially when on and off the gas.

Rear differential disconnected from vehicle due to mounting bolt snapping, rear differential was also previously replaced by BMW before I purchased vehicles due to rear differential failure.

When the vehicle is moving at a speed of 4mph and lower, it is impossible to shift the vehicle from neutral to drive without applying the brakes. I was pulling out onto a 4 lane road from a side street when I accidentally bumped the transmission gear shifter into the "n" neutral position. When I realized this (I was only going 4 mph at the time) I tried to shift it back into drive but it would not work. The vehicle made a sound that I was doing something wrong. I tried to shift it again (vehicle was probably now moving around 3 mph) and it gave me that same warning sound but this time I looked at the instrumentation panel and saw that the warning text displayed on the panel said that I needed to apply the brakes before I could shift it from neutral to drive. When I applied the brakes the vehicle came to a complete stop because I was going only 3mph and at that point I could shift the vehicle into drive. I believe that if I had pulled out with cars coming at a high rate of speed that I could have been hit on the drivers side because I had come to a complete stop in the right hand lane of the roadway. I could only imagine what could have happened to an inexperienced driver because I somewhat panicked and I have over 35 years of driving experience. This safety issue was brought up to BMW through their customer service/satisfaction center. The representative that I spoke with said he would forward the concern to their "research and design" unit but didn't know if they would respond. I have not brought the issue up with the dealership where I purchased the vehicle because I notified BMW directly. I am concerned that this design fault will one day cause catastrophic injuries.

Drivetrain malfunction light due to bad egr valve, which is causing car to run rough. Currently there is safety recall out for the egr cooler. BMW of bloomfield diagnosed and recommended egr valve replacement but cost was excessive at over $1,100. Another BMW specialist (g&t in jersey city) recommended replacement of egr valve and cooler due to potential hazardous conditions described in safety recall but said I shouldn't have to pay due to safety recall. So I called BMW dealers in bloomfield and springfield both say the "remedy is not available". So am I just supposed to drive the car until it catches fire? this seems reckless so my other option is to pay the mechanics to replace the system that is already subject to a recall.

This vehicle shuts down the engine when stopped at a stop sign or light. The engine resumes when you press on the brake or gas peddle. But sometimes, the engine will turn back on for no apparent reason. That is not an issue of concern. But, sometimes, when the engine turns on automatically, it will drop the transmission into park. So when you attempt to apply gas, the car will not move forward as it is not in gear. This is intermittent. My german auto repair shop has observed the issue and spoken with many other shops who have reported the same issue with the X3. BMW does not have a solution to the problem. The driver never knows if the car will move forward after a traffic stop, as it is not obvious that the transmission has dropped into park until you attempt to move forward. Instead of using this engine turn-off feature of the vehicle, they suggest turning it off to avoid the problem. That is a gas-saving feature of the car.

The component/systems affects is vanos, exhaust: control error, camshaft is stuck; boost pressure control: shutdown as a follow-up reaction. This is available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of others are at risk because the vanos assembly (engine) bolts may, over time, loosen, and eventually break. If this occurs, a reduced engine power “safe mode” may be activated. In some cases, the engine may not be able to be restarted after switching off and, in rare cases, the engine could stall which could increase the risk of a crash. This problem has been confirmed by two BMW dealerships. After multiple visits and thousands of dollars spent on attempts at repair, the problem still exists. The resolution offered was to purchase another vehicle or spend thousands more at another attempt to remedy this problem. Although, it is my understanding that there is an open recall for this part (vanos solenoid). The drivetrain malfunction warning appears and this problem began in July 2022.

On July 15, 2022, my 2013 BMW X3 i28 broke down on the nys thruway; I reside in fort lauderdale; I've owned the vehicle for a year and a half, have serviced it at BMW of fort lauderdale, and actually had it in to change a lightbulb and make sure all was good. It was towed to towne BMW in williamsville, NY, as I was in town visiting family. I purchased the car from carvana in November 2020; the extended warranty was only effective for a year, and I was shopping for a new one. My vehicle looks brand new; its garage is stored and well maintained per manufacturer recommendations. The vehicle only just hit 70,383 miles, since I transport it on the autotrain when I head north for a few months. Towne BMW said they found the problem it was the battery, I pay the $685. 78, plus the $300 in towing charges I made it across the street from the service center, and it stopped again I am still trying to figure out how a vehicle that was in excellent condition the day before is now dead? my vehicle is sitting in my sister's driveway just outside of buffalo NY with a dead engine. I have a rare genetic syndrome so trying to do everything is killing me; I almost had a heart attack from this ordeal. I still owe on the vehicle. I contacted BMW of na; this 2013 X3 come to find out was the worst year yet. There was a class action filed against them, which has expired, currently this year alone there are an additional 134 vehicles I was able to find on the web, yet we all experienced just the same and in the end a dead engine. When I contacted BMW na told him the situation, and he gave me a runaround; OH I'll contact the dealership and find the reason, and maybe out of good faith we can provide you with a new engine; I have all his crap emails trying to stall for as long as he could. Towne BMW won't even return my calls, I asked them for a list of the diagnostics they completed, and I received nothing. I had to tow the vehicle to a german specialis so they could tell me the engine was seize.

In July 2022, the vanos bolts in my 2011 BMW X3 xdrive28i failed, causing major internal engine damage. This is the exact defect later identified under BMW recall 23v-707. The bolts sheared off while driving, disabling the vehicle. I paid $5,000 out of pocket for full repairs using oem parts at masny motorwerks (BMW specialist in rochester, NY). BMW did not issue the recall until more than two years later. At that time, there was no remedy available. A fix was not released until December 2024. I followed BMW’s reimbursement process: I visited BMW of rochester in person on January 28, 2025 and submitted my invoice to the service advisor. I followed up by phone twice — no response. I submitted a full reimbursement claim to BMW north America on March 31, 2025 with all documentation. BMW replied on April 8 with a boilerplate response redirecting me back to the same dealership. I then followed up again with full documentation. BMW replied again, refusing to take responsibility and offering no support. I have submitted everything twice and followed the tread act process in good faith. BMW has failed to reimburse me or process the claim properly.