Steering Problems of BMW X3 - part 1

When starting the vehicle, the message center displays "loss communications brake system control module a. " the vehicle losses power steering, speedometer indication, tire pressure monitoring, and stability control. There are numerous codes displayed for brake system, power steering, parking brake and stability control. This is the third time that this event has happened. Turning the vehicle off and restarting after approximately 1 hour the codes were clear and everything appears to work properly. This event occurs randomly and resets after the vehicle is turned off and restarted after a period of approximately 1 hour. The loss of power steering and speed indication is a safety hazard. I have been driving this vehicle when the power steering and speedometer stopped working. The steering requires a lot more effort to turn and you do not know the current speed of the vehicle. The BMW dealer charged us the customer for a software update to fix this issue. We are not confident that the vehicle is fixed because this is a random event. I believe this should be a safety recall. There is a recall on BMW 2023 and 2024 models for the same issue. The recall does not include the 2022 model at this time. Codes displayed: u0129, u0418, p15c9, p15c8, p15b9, p15b8, p0507, p0610, p152b, p152a.

See all problems of the 2022 BMW X3 🔎.

I am reporting a persistent and concerning mechanical issue with my 2025 BMW X3. A clunking noise is occurring frequently, particularly over uneven road surfaces and during normal driving maneuvers such as turning, accelerating, or braking at low speeds (generally below 20 mph). This noise is accompanied by a noticeable vibration that can be felt through the steering wheel and the brake pedal. The sound has been heard and confirmed by several passengers who have ridden in the vehicle with me. I have brought this issue to the attention of my local BMW dealership on August 6, 2025. During my visit, the service team was unable to replicate the issue and stated they could not confirm a problem. They advised me to continue driving the vehicle and suggested that if a defect exists, it would likely worsen over time and become easier to diagnose. I have since contacted the dealership again to request a more thorough inspection, as the issue has not resolved and remains a significant concern.

Driving on the highway, unexpectedly I was not able to turn anymore. On the road was something I wanted to not hit, but steering did not work as usual. The car was forced to the left into the wall and the only thing I was able to do was using the breaks steady and slowly. Steering in the other direction did not work and in the end I hit the divider wall on the left shoulder.

See all problems of the 2024 BMW X3 🔎.

On the evening of Wednesday March 6th 2025, as I turned into the street where I live, my car became difficult to steer. It felt like I had developed a front flat tire on one side, but there was no indication of low tire pressure on the dash. I was moving around 5 miles an hour and with some difficulty, could navigate the car to the curb on my street and park it in front of my home. I could not attend to the car on Thursday or Friday since I was busy at work. On Friday night I contacted BMW towing and arranged the car to be towed on Saturday to the dealer from whom I had purchased the car. The dealer confirmed that the car was not steerable. They put up the car on the rack and sent me a video. They noted that the left tie-rod steering linkage was broken. They noticed scratches on the under side of the car, and "curb rash" on the wheels suggestive of possible brushing of the front wheels to the curb which may have caused the steering problem. They indicated that because it was caused by accidental damage, it was not covered under warranty. I cannot recall any accidents, big or small , while driving this vehicle. I have brushed along curbs occasionally, but none that should break a steering linkage. The scary part of this whole thing was how I could not steer the car, fortunately it happened at low speeds. It could have been worse if the disruption had occurred at freeway speeds. If a car can become non-steerable by just hitting the curb, because the steering linkage broke, that is not acceptable level of quality from a safety standpoint. I would expect better performance from a BMW. I can understand the car getting out of alignment, but to lose the ability to steer is just not acceptable. I have attached pictures of the broken linkage from the video that was sent by the dealer. I have attached the pictures from the.

See all problems of the 2023 BMW X3 🔎.

When parking, parked or when I put it in drive and turn the wheel to drive off turning steering wheel there is a deep gridding noise. Comment: this could be due to issues with the steering wheel assembly, suspension component, a sign of manufactory defects in the bearings, bushings, or other parts of the steering system. Driving with this noise that appears only when using the steering system can put additional stress on other components and potentially lead to more significant damage and is a consistent safety concern. For this issue the car had 3 service visits and continuous the same problem. Dealer service said they try fix it changing tie rods but they are no sure solve the issue .

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.

See all problems of the 2018 BMW X3 🔎.

The contact owns a 2018 BMW X3. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, there were several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument cluster. The contact stated that the rear and side view cameras were disabled, and the forward collision avoidance system was disabled. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed and it was determined that the steering wheel torque sensors had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

I purchased by 2022 BMW X3 new in September of 2021. Since then I have had re-occurring safety issues with the car involving steering and suspension components. I've had the front thrust rod replaced at least three times. The vehicle clunks when in reverse and consumes front tires. I had to order front tires for the car with only about 15k miles on them. I had the vehicle alignment checked multiple times and was informed that the car is in correct alignment specs. My biggest frustration is that BMW consistently lies to me and does everything in it's power to deny that there are issues with the vehicle. The thrust rod issue is a known issue which has multiple technical service bulletins. They actually re-engineered the part because it was designed so poorly that they constantly break. BMW, of course, has tried to hide this information and denies that there is anything wrong with the component. I was informed that they would be placing a re-engineered part on my car once it was available - however they had no eta according to the dealership because BMW needs so many of these parts to replace their faulty components. When I refused to pick up the car suddenly a re-engineered part was available. I have dozens of service invoices for this issue and e-mails with the dealership and BMW representatives lying and covering up information to prevent a recall of their substandard vehicle. Recently, my steering wheel has started to get "stuck" while driving. I have to use brute force to move the wheel which results in erratic maneuvers on the highway. I brought the vehicle back to BMW who, as usual, said there is nothing wrong with it. When I refused to drive the car due to safety concerns, suddenly it needs a new steering column. Upon research, this is also apparently a huge issue with the X3's. My vehicle has proven unsafe to drive and BMW has no concern about my safety or welfare. I have a lot of evidence and service invoices if needed.

Electric power steering failure. Available for inspection. Sudden loss of power steering assistance could increase the risk of a crash. Confirmed by BMW dealer. Increased steering effort light came on when eps fails. A control module in the electric power steering (eps) unit may malfunction, resulting in a sudden loss of power steering assistance.

See all problems of the 2011 BMW X3 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2007 BMW X3 🔎.

Both front end tie-rods had to be replaced at 28000 miles. They were making a loud popping noise when steering the vehicle on uneven pavement. The bushings on the tie-rods were worn out and could have failed at any time, resulting in a complete loss of steering control. The vehicle has not been in any accidents or received any damage to wheels and/or tires from hitting any curbs or potholes. In my opinion, this is a dangerous condition which warrants additional investigation. The repair / replacement was performed at the auto dealership where the vehicle was purchased new in April 2021.

See all problems of the 2021 BMW X3 🔎.

The contact owns a 2011 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the "steering response affected!" and "chassis stabilization" messages displayed and the steering wheel seized. The contact used physical strength to steer the vehicle and veered to the side road. The contact stated upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the warning messages disappeared. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. However, the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 11v341000 (steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

After car warms up and while driving in warmer temperatures, steering becomes loose, vehicle drifts in lane and becomes difficult to control. Even with steering assist enabled, vehicle cannot maintain a straight line. Knocking sound from underneath vehicle when steering to center at low speeds.

See all problems of the 2020 BMW X3 🔎.

First failure 3/22- vehicle makes clanking/rattling of metal sound when going over bumps. Sound is felt near driver caliper and rattles. Can be felt in steering. 4/22 vehicle is taken to BMW for inspection; needed to come back as they couldn't figure it out. 5/22 vehicle sound is replicated by BMW dealer service center. I have not received any warning messages or lights prior. Current lights that stay lit longer than usual are the assisted driving and the hazard. This has been since the power failure however. Vehicle has been out of service for a collective 150+ days this year. No remedy to to issue. 11/22 car broke down again on the highway; extreme shaking, bouncing, loose and uncontrolled steering. 12/22 car back in service and immediate rattle under front driver's side, loose steering and wobbly tires. Electrical failure, no start and all dash lights glowing. (possible battery issue). 1/23 car is back to BMW for further inspection. No information yet I believe safety and others is at risk because there have been two times that I was driving and the car felt that is was not controllable. The BMW service center has had it in their garage 5 occasions without remedy. One certified mechanic has been unable to diagnose as well. Parts repaired: struts, guides, swing arm/sway, both front lower control arms, tires and drivers side cv axle.

I just purchased a BMW X3 2007 the 2nd week of March 2022. Immediately, after driving home and parking the car. I turned the car off and the car began to make a loud noise and the engine start smoking very bad. I contacted BMW via email, and was told that there is not a remedy to the recalls effecting my car. The BMW X3 2007 is my only form of transportation and BMW cannot fix the problem. This car can catch on fire or worse kill me and children in the fire in the car. After research this is an ongoing problem with BMW. BMW should be liable for any damages caused my this recall. I have car that I cannot drive because it is not safe to drive, by no fault of my own.

Car was parked and when I came out of walmart it was on fire coming from the steering box. I tried to put it out with my jacket but yellow fire was too much. Fire department came on scene as well as police. By stander had large thermos of coffee and extinguished the fire before fire truck arrived.

See all problems of the 2013 BMW X3 🔎.

The car is not stable on highways, drifts left or right, even after wheel alignment done by a BMW dealer. Constant corrections needed every 5-10 sec to stay in lane.

The contact owns a 2011 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 11v341000 (steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.

My brand new BMW X3 3. 0 is not able to track straight, the car needs constant corrections to stay on straight course. Multiple visits to BMW dealerships did not help, the dealers refuse to recognize the issue. This is safety issue since the car tends to go off road and may lead to an accident.

I was slowly driving on the parking lot and suddenly the steering completely locked and I am not able to turn at all. I turned off the car (luckily, no car around me) and restart it the issue went away. Later today (11/20/2020), I pulled out from my driver way and the same thing happened again. When I restart my car the issue disappeared. I searched online and I found many people had the same issue as mine and unfortuantely my car is not on the recall list. Please help!! the repair cost for replacing such module is thousands. Thanks!.

Tl the contact owns a 2020 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving 20 mph, when he heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated he continued driving the vehicle to his destination. The vehicle was taken to BMW of ramsey located at 985 NJ-17, ramsey, NJ 07446, (844) 743-8279, however the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The failure persisted. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign numbers: 20v355000 (steering) and 19v738000 (steering), however the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had not been informed of failure. The failure mileage was 35.

I was parking when I totally lost control of my car. I could not steer it and I could not break. I went left while I was attempting to brake but I had no brakes. I attempted to go straight and hit one parked car. Then I went right and damaged another car then the car hit a 3 car. Then the car stopped. I receive a BMW assist message regarding having an accident then the screen went dead. I was parking my car. Few weeks before I received the following message: chassis stabilization problems. You can continue driving but take your car to the dealer ( something like that). I stopped the car and the message went away. Never came back. So I was planning to talk about it to the dealer when going for the next appointment. I was parking in a place I know very well, hispital parking.

BMW vehicles with chassis stabilization malfunction related to electrical sensor in the wheels leading to vehicle stopped , not running going on parking automatically, drivers unable to manubrate the car. My car has approximately 2500 miles , and was running without problems that they until suddenly went automatically into parking while driving, please check on internet this issues going on BMW's all over the world but mostly in USA.

See all problems of the 2014 BMW X3 🔎.

While driving steering stopped working and became hard to steering , error -drive moderately , increased steering effort required on display , which was extremely difficult at slow speeds , definitely a safety issue.

The steering angle sensor has faulted, at around 60,000 miles. This fault results in possible airbag failure, in conjunction with inability to perform safety breaking mechanisms, as well as disabling the cars 4x4 stability control features. BMW as well as other BMW third-party mechanics have told me this is a reoccurring problem and could pose a serious danger if in an accident. BMW officially told me to put a complaint in so that a recall could be performed. I will not pay 2000 for my airbags to work, as it is a feature required by law to operate properly. I will upload all necessary documentation if needed, should this complaint be taken into consideration.

See all problems of the 2008 BMW X3 🔎.

Upon start up there is no power assist for 5-20 seconds. This started to occur at approx 60 thousand miles. Diagnosed as failing eps steering rack.

While approaching a stoplight, braked, then went to accelerate and the vehicle totally shutdown and stopped while driving in traffic. This was a catastrophic failure, which could have killed both occupants of this vehicle. The check engine light was activated. Upon attempting to restart the vehicle to move it out of the way of traffic, the vehicle would not start. The transmission would not be placed in neutral nor could the parking brake be disengaged so the vehicle could be pushed out of the way of traffic. This was a very dangerous situation. This vehicle is dangerous and should be taken off of the market.

See all problems of the 2016 BMW X3 🔎.

At between 52 mph and say 60 mph steering wheel buzzes and shakes. Seems to be something with lane depart system even when shut off. Excessive front pass tire wear also. No fix from dealer yet?.

BMW 2018 X3 steering wheel ***went out of control*** for unknown reason and took over my driving on hwy 84 when I was going about 62 miles, it geared to left on its own. The car eventually hit center divider during the course of trying to avoid otherwise possibly severe collision. X3 entire left side damaged, called 911, car towed. Contacted BMW na and local dealer in fremont California, car tested, reported back with no problem. BMW offered no explanation of why it happened. Nor did any remedy offered for car damage, estimated repair cost of $13000, aside from stress caused after such a traumatizing incident. The black box which supposed to record car actual status, BMW replied found no error code. I believe there were manufacture defects because the X3 went thru one recall and then trunk pop opened on its own, sent in again for service to repair. Soon after, the steering wheel went out of control. It's such an obvious safety issue that people might lose lifes on it. It's been over 9 months and till now, we still don't know how it happened and what'd trigger it to lose control in the future. It's difficult for an individual to obtain justice from such a big corporation. Grateful that I'm alive and have a chance to file this complaint so this incident has a chance to be noticed or be further investigated.

While driving on the highway at 60-70 miles, the low oil pressure light came on, immediately followed by a drivetrain malfunction indicator light then car completely lost all power including breaks and steering. Luckily was able to pull over to a service lane. The car would not restart and had tow to the dealer. Dealer performed an oil analysis and found lots of metal shavings/particles in the oil which caused the engine to seize. Meanwhile the oil was just changed 3 weeks prior. Clearly this is manufacture defect. BMW north America does not want to acknowledge this even though there are numerous class actions suits regarding timing chain failure which causes the engine to seize due to failure of plastic timing chain guides. Had to pay out of pocket to repair defective engine. There needs to be a recall as this could have been catastrophic if someone was seriously hurt or even killed. BMW does not value the safety of their consumers nor do they stand by their products. This is totally unacceptable. In good conscience, I would never recommend this "ultimate driving machine" to anyone!.

~tl the contact owns a 2011 BMW X3. While attempting to make a u turn, the steering wheel seized. In addition, the vehicle experienced a complete loss of power. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing, but the cause of the failure was unable to be determined. The dealer stated that the VIN was not included in any recalls pertaining to the failure. The manufacturer was notified and informed the contact of NHTSA campaign number: 11v341000 (steering), but the VIN was excluded. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

2018 BMW X3 m40i: upon start up the vehicle displays a warning �seatbelt restraint system malfunction. � the car the enters a limp mode and says to drive to the nearest BMW service center and that some safety features are unavailable. Power assist steering no longer works, and the vehicle defaults to 4wd mode. Additionally, it further states airbag functionality is limited, and crash avoidance is unavailable, but that driving is still possible! what's disturbing is that I discovered that many other late model BMW owners are reporting this same issue. The few that have had it resolved said it's a sensor failure in one of the front seats. This sensor is tied to the restraint system and the airbag. BMW service center has attempted to fix this malfunction on my X3 on three separate occasions without success. I am worried that my airbags or seatbelt will fail in a collision.

After the engine was turned on, the vehicle's steering wheel was locked with an warning message of "chassis stability/steering. Chassis stability malfunction. Traction reduced. A change in steering behavior or steering wheel angle is possible. Continued driving is possible. Drive moderately. Have the system checked by the nearest BMW center. " restarted the car multiple times at which point, the steering system felt fine again. After driving it for less than 10 miles on city streets, the vehicle's power steering stopped working in the midst of driving on the road. The car was extremely difficult to steer and had to come to a stop on a busy road. Tried restarting the car multiple time but kept getting the error message "steering response affected! drive moderately. Have the system checked by the nearest BMW center. " it had to be towed on a flatbed to a shop at this point. The car just barely hit 50k (50,0049) miles and had been keeping up with the maintenance regularly in the past.

The vehicle will not drive straight when the steering wheel is at center. The vehicle will drift either to the left or to the right, but it will not go straight without constant corrections. In short, the steering system does not have a center. The authorized dealer's certified technician test drove the vehicle and confirmed the issue. They unsuccessfully tried to repair it with wheel alignment and eps recalibration. Then they said that they test drove a similar vehicle and it exhibits the same steering issue and thus they called it "a normal characteristic of the electric steering". I have contacted BMW na about the issue and the dealer's statement that this steering issue is a normal characteristic. BMW na has not provided any technical guidance or opinion and they redirect me back to the dealer. Their overall verdict is that if more than one vehicles exhibit the issue, then it is normal, and there is nothing they can do. Nhtsa should investigate if X3 models with electric steering have this steering issue and possibly ask BMW to recall because it is a big safety issue.

See all problems of the 2017 BMW X3 🔎.

While driving a message popped up on the display stating that the vehicle was experiencing a chassis stabilization problem and that we needed to drive moderately. Also all of the instrument cluster indicator lights have come on, causing the concern for a safe vehicle now. Also passenger restraint indication illuminates periodically.