no report yet
Air bags: frontal
Risk. IN THIS SITUATION THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY EVEN IF A SUFFICIENTLY SEVERE ACCIDENT WOULD OCCUR AND OCCUPANT PROTECTION PROVIDED BY THE…
2005 BMW X3Problems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 103 owner complaints about the 2005 BMW X3, most often about the seats. It is covered by 1 safety recall.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through August 10, 2021. Updated daily. Photo: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2005 BMW X3 has problems
103 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
48Seats24 crash/fire/injury
30Air bags1 crash/fire/injury
18Electrical system8 crash/fire/injury
7Structure
5Engine
4Power train
3Seat belts
3Engine and engine cooling
2Steering
1511 other systems4 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Seats | 48 | 24 |
| Air bags | 30 | 1 |
| Electrical system | 18 | 8 |
| Structure | 7 | 1 |
| Engine | 5 | 1 |
| Power train | 4 | 1 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 0 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 3 | 1 |
| Steering | 2 | 1 |
| 11 other systems | 15 | 4 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
1 recall
2005 BMW X3 recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with BMW.
Mileage at failure
When do seats problems start?
95kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 47 seats complaints. 57% were reported before 100,000 miles.
1under 30k miles27under 100k miles20100k miles or more
Best & worst years
2005 vs. every other X3 year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the X3 median. How we score
'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2005 BMW X3 safety ratings
2005 BMW X3 4-DR w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2005 BMW X3, and the recalls they led to.
- BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATIONLed to recall 08V-384
- BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATIONNo recall
In owners' words
What X3 owners report
Recent seats complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
RIVER'S SEAT HEATING UNIT OVERHEATS WHEN ON HIGH SETTING, TO THE POINT OF BURNING SKIN THROUGH THE SEAT AND CLOTHING. LOWER LEFT LUMBAR. PER SERVICE SHOP, THE SEAT HEATER GRID IS BROKEN, CAUSING 40 DEGREE HIGHER TEMPERATURES THAN NORMAL IN THE LEFT LEG AREA. ONGOING ISSUE, NOT A SINGLE OCCURRENCE
THE DRIVER SEAT HEATING ELEMENT BURNT A HOLE THROUGH THE LEATHER SEAT. THIS HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND WEARING MY SEAT BELT. I FELT THE HEAT THROUGH MY CLOTHES AND I WAS AFRAID IT WOULD CATCH MY CLOTHES ON FIRE. I PULLED OVER UNSTRAPPED MY SEAT BELT AND EXAMINED THE SEAT TO FIND THE HOLE…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW X3. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED A BURNING ODOR INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT SEAT LUMBAR CUSHION OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE…
Own a 2005 X3?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.