How many recalls does the 2011 Bmw X3 have?

4 open NHTSA safety recalls are on record for the 2011 Bmw X3, alongside 166 owner complaints.

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2011 Bmw X3 Recalls & Complaints

open safety recalls on record

Critical

166 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.19 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical17V683000

Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control:Crankcase (Pcv)

electrical short can cause the parts within the PCV valve to melt, raises the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is not in use.

Remedy & full details

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PCV valve heater, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notification by the end of October 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2011 128i and 2007-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi, X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive30i, Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.

Critical23V707000

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Loose or broken VANOS unit bolts can result in an engine stall, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Dealers will replace the four VANOS bolts, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed December 18, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed June 19, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2010-2012 1 Series Coupe, 1 Series Convertible, 3 Series Sedan, 3 Series Convertible, 2010-2011 3 Series Sportswagon, 3 Series Coupe, 5 Series Sedan, X3 xDrive 28i, X3 xDrive 30i, X5 xDrive30i, and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles. The aluminum bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment (VANOS) unit can loosen over time and possibly break.

Serious16V333000

Child Seat:Latch Strap

Damaged lower anchor bars may increase the child's risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy & full details

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will weld a reinforcing bracket to the lower anchor bars and the vehicle body, free of charge. The recall began on July 13, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2011-2017, X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i and X3 xDrive35i, vehicles manufactured July 2, 2010 to April 14, 2016, 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d vehicles manufactured March 10, 2014 to March 31, 2016, and 2015-2017 x4 xDrive28i, X4 xDrive35i and X4 xDriveM40i vehicles manufactured March3, 2014 to April 15, 2016. The affected vehicles have lower anchor bars for securing child restraint seats that may become damaged when using the European-ISOFIX-type, rigid-style connector, child restraint system.

Serious11V341000

Steering:Electric Power Assist System

SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE COULD raises the risk of A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING AUGUST 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SERVICES AT 1-800-525-7417.

BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 X3 PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 27, 2011, THROUGH JUNE 8, 2011. A CONTROL MODULE IN THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING (EPS) UNIT MAY MALFUNCTION, RESULTING IN A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE.

Complaint volume

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

Complaints filed	166
Reporting a crash	6
Reporting a fire	5
Injuries reported	1
Deaths reported	0
Severity Index	0.19

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Engine — 31 reports
Engine And Engine Cooling — 22 reports
Electrical System — 22 reports
Power Train — 21 reports
Steering — 21 reports
Exterior Lighting — 10 reports
Unknown Or Other — 7 reports
Air Bags — 5 reports
Vehicle Speed Control — 5 reports
Electronic Stability Control (Esc) — 4 reports

What to do

Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · 2026

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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