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All cars · BMW · SUV

BMW X3.

The best BMW X3 years are 2012, 2018, 2014. Years to avoid: 2004, 2007. Across 2010-2022, it has a Lemon Index of 64, where 100 is the average car and lower is better.

Reliability by year, 2004 to 2025.

64Lemon Index · 100 = average car

Better than average. Whole model, 2010-2022: 1.6× fewer complaints than average.

Best year 2012 · Worst year 2004

BMW X3
Photo shows a 2018 BMW X3. Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · background removed

Every year. Lower is better. Tap a year for its full report.

20041581.6× the complaints2005–few complaints2006–few complaints20071491.5× the complaints2011591.7× fewer complaints2012244.2× fewer complaints2013671.5× fewer complaints2014432.3× fewer complaints201590about average2016701.4× fewer complaints2017661.5× fewer complaints2018323.1× fewer complaints2019851.2× fewer complaints2020771.3× fewer complaints2021721.4× fewer complaints2022661.5× fewer complaints2023–few complaints202471early read · 1.4× fewer complaints202582early read · 1.2× fewer complaints

Scores before 2010 are rough: fewer owners filed complaints back then.

Best years to buy

2012.

2012244.2× fewer complaints than average2018323.1× fewer complaints than average2014432.3× fewer complaints than average

Years to avoid

2004.

20041581.6× the average car's complaints20071491.5× the average car's complaints

Quick answers.

Is the BMW X3 a good car?

Yes, it draws fewer complaints than the average car, by owner complaints to the government per car sold (2010-2022: Lemon Index 64; 100 is average). Some years are much better than others: the best is 2012 and the worst is 2004.

What are the best BMW X3 years to buy?

By owner complaints per car sold: 2012, 2018, 2014.

What BMW X3 years should you stay away from?

The years with the most complaints per car sold: 2004, 2007.

How many recalls does the BMW X3 have?

118 safety recalls across the 19 model years we track. Most: 2020 (16), 2018 (11), 2019 (10). Each year's page lists them.

What are the most common BMW X3 problems?

Across every year, owners' complaints to the government name electrical, transmission & drivetrain and engine most. Some years are much worse than others: see the chart above.

Every year in one table
YearIndexCompared with averageComplaintsTop complaintRecallsCrash testMPG
20041581.6× the average car's complaints47visibility (15%)1—17–18
2005–too few complaints to score9airbags (56%)2—17–18
2006–too few complaints to score5engine (20%)2—17–18
20071491.5× the average car's complaints38transmission & drivetrain (87%)5—19–20
2011591.7× fewer complaints than average19steering (53%)5—21
2012244.2× fewer complaints than average9speed control (44%)2—21
2013671.5× fewer complaints than average27engine (33%)7—21–24
2014432.3× fewer complaints than average16brakes (25%)6—21–24
201590about average29engine (21%)7★★★★★21–30
2016701.4× fewer complaints than average31brakes (26%)5★★★★★21–30
2017661.5× fewer complaints than average29brakes (24%)6★★★★★21–24
2018323.1× fewer complaints than average20electrical (30%)11—23–25
2019851.2× fewer complaints than average61body structure (30%)10★★★★★23–26
2020771.3× fewer complaints than average43transmission & drivetrain (23%)16★★★★★16–27
2021721.4× fewer complaints than average53body structure (15%)10★★★★★16–27
2022661.5× fewer complaints than average54automatic emergency braking (30%)7★★★★★17–25
2023–too few complaints to score15engine (27%)4★★★★★17–25
2024711.4× fewer complaints than average42electrical (31%)3★★★★★17–25
2025821.2× fewer complaints than average38electrical (39%)9★★★★☆27–29

Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the government within 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average, lower is better. How it works

BMW X3 transmission problems by year →

Updated

Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Get the data