Model year record

2005 BMW X3

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. 144 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 08V384000

Air bags: frontal

Component: Air bags: frontal
Manufacturer: BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC
Vehicles affected: 200,000
Reported to NHTSA: 2008-08-05
Owners notified: 2008-11-06

Defect description

BMW IS RECALLING 200,000 MY 2006 3 SERIES SPORT SEAT, MY 2004-2006 5 SERIES STANDARD AND SPORT SEAT, AND MY 2004-2006 X3 PASSENGER VEHICLES. DEPENDING ON THE MANNER AND FREQUENCY OF THE FRONT PASSENGER'S ENTRY AND EXIT, SMALL CRACKS HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE MAT. IF THIS OCCURS, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE HEAD PROTECTION SYSTEM, WILL BE DEACTIVATED AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP AS WELL AS THE PASSENGER AIR BAG "ON-OFF" LAMP WILL BE ILLUMINATED.

Safety 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 SYSTEM WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL REWORK THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAT SO THAT EXTERNAL FORCE APPLICATION TO THE SEAT DOES NOT CAUSE A CRACK TO THE MAT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 6, 2008. BMW WILL ALSO EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THESE VEHICLES TO 10 YEARS FROM FIRST REGISTRATION WITHOUT ANY MILEAGE LIMIT. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-525-7417.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

Component	Complaints	Median mileage
Seats	43	98,576 mi
Air bags	25	85,000 mi
Electrical system	18	80,000 mi
Air bags: frontal	7	64,000 mi
Seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler	7	80,000 mi
Engine	5	68,611 mi
Unknown or other	5	35,000 mi
Structure	4	36,000 mi
Power train	3	126,000 mi
Seat belts	3	73,863 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)	2	33,900 mi
Engine and engine cooling	2	10,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system	2	68,611 mi
Steering	2	33,900 mi
Structure: body	2	100,000 mi
Vehicle speed control	2	8,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system: fan	1	505,000 mi
Equipment adaptive/mobility	1	38,000 mi
Exterior lighting	1	167,000 mi
Latches/locks/linkages	1	39,000 mi
Power train: automatic transmission	1	38,000 mi
Service brakes	1	144,000 mi
Service brakes, electric	1	38,000 mi
Structure: body: door	1	102,500 mi
Suspension: front	1	38,000 mi
Tires: tread/belt	1	200 mi
Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system	1	—
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly	1	51,000 mi

The 2004 model has about half as many complaints as this one. The 2006 model has about half as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.