2018 BMW X3
The Verdict
Worst problem area
Electrical
Electrical leads by volume: 21 of 74 complaints (28%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Brakes include more reported injuries (2) than those mentioning any other identified area.
Complaints filed fell from 92 in 2017 to 74 in 2018.
Data last changed . Sources: NHTSA complaints and recalls, EPA fuel economy data. Methodology
Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History
| Category | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | vs. 2018 Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fuel cost ($) | 3,000–3,700 | 3,250–3,700 | 3,100–3,350 | 3,000–3,350 | 2,850–4,850 | |
| Combined MPG | 21–30 | 21–24 | 23–25 | 23–26 | 16–27 | |
| City / Highway MPG | 19–27 / 26–33 | 19–21 / 26–28 | 20–22 / 27–29 | 20–23 / 27–30 | 14–25 / 19–29 | |
| CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi) | 345–416 | 374–418 | 359–388 | 344–392 | 332–546 | |
| Complaints filed | 82 | 92 | 74 | 167 | 109 | |
| Recalls issued | 5 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 16 | |
| Crash-involved complaints | 7 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 2 | |
| Fire-involved complaints | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | |
| Injuries reported | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | |
| Deaths reported | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Configurations compared | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
Not compared: this database has no vehicle sales or registration figures, so a raw count mostly reflects how many were sold, not how safe the vehicle is.
Common questions
How many recalls does the 2018 BMW X3 have?
11 NHTSA recall campaigns as of Sep 16, 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA to see whether one applies to your car.
What is the most common complaint about the 2018 BMW X3?
Electrical: 21 of 74 NHTSA complaints (28%) mention it.
What gas mileage does the 2018 BMW X3 get?
EPA rates it 23–25 MPG combined across 2 configurations.
How much does it cost to fuel a 2018 BMW X3?
EPA estimates $3,100–$3,350 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.
Similar Vehicles
EPA-Rated Configurations (2)
| Configuration | Transmission | Cylinders | Displacement | Drivetrain | Fuel Type | Vehicle Class | City | Highway | Combined | Annual Fuel Cost | CO₂ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Configuration 1 | Automatic (S8) | 4 | 2.0L | All-Wheel Drive | Premium | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 22 mpg (high) | 29 mpg (high) | 25 mpg (high) | $3,100 (low) | 359 g/mi (low) |
| Configuration 2 | Automatic (S8) | 6 | 3.0L | All-Wheel Drive | Premium | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 20 mpg (low) | 27 mpg (low) | 23 mpg (low) | $3,350 (high) | 388 g/mi (high) |
Complaints by Category
| Category | Complaints | Crash-Involved | Fire-Involved | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Transmission & Drivetrain | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brakes | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Steering | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension, Wheels & Tires | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Airbags & Restraints | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Driver Assistance & Speed Control | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Body, Seats & Latches | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Lighting | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 12 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.
Recalls (11)
STRUCTURE · Campaign 24V764000 · Oct 15, 2024
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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 · Campaign 24V534000 · Jul 18, 2024
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL; AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER · Campaign 21V521000 · Jul 9, 2021
Defect: BMW 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.
Consequence: A deactivated front air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers 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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL; AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · Campaign 20V152000 · Mar 18, 2020
Defect: BMW 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.
Consequence: In 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.
Remedy: BMW 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.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA · Campaign 19V684000 · Sep 30, 2019
Defect: BMW 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 adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Consequence: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW 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.
SEATS · Campaign 19V563000 · Aug 1, 2019
Defect: BMW 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.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, there is an increased risk of injury if the seatback folds forward or rearward.
Remedy: BMW 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.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER · Campaign 18V453000 · Jul 10, 2018
Defect: BMW 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.
Consequence: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW 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.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL · Campaign 18V431000 · Jun 27, 2018
Defect: BMW 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."
Consequence: Turn signals that flash multiple colors may confuse other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW 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.
LANE DEPARTURE: LANE KEEP: STEERING ASSIST · Campaign 18V374000 · Jun 8, 2018
Defect: BMW 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.
Consequence: If 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.
Remedy: BMW 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.
STRUCTURE:BODY · Campaign 18V154000 · Mar 9, 2018
Defect: BMW 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.
Consequence: If the spoiler detaches while driving, it can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW 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.
Show 1 earlier campaign
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL · Campaign 17V719000 · Nov 17, 2017
Defect: BMW 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."
Consequence: If 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.
Remedy: BMW 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.