6 complaints reported

2006 BMW X3 Engine

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
6
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
1

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Apr 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW X3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS FLUID LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE AND THE COOLANT WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE COOLANT RESERVOIR, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 BMW X3, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Jan 2017
Sep 2016 Crash Injury

ON 8/4/2016 AROUND 7:20AM. I PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE AT WORK. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AND WAS A COMPLETE STOP. SHIFTING FROM DRIVE TO PARK. THE CAR EXCELERATED THROWING ME BACK INTO MY SEAT. I KEPT PUSHING THE BRAKE AND THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP. THE CAR WENT AIRBORNE AND EXCELERATED A SECOND TIME. I HIT A FIRE HYDRANT AND LANDED IN THE STREET. I WAS THEN ABLE TO STOP THE CAR. THE DISTANCE FROM THE PARKING STOP TO THE ROAD WAS ABOUT 20 FEET. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A BMW DEALER. BMW HAD MY CAR FOR 8 WEEKS. THEY HAD 2 DIFFERENT TECHS COME IN TO LOOK AT THE CAR. THE OUT COME WAS THAT THE BRAKES ARE FINE AND IT DID NOT HAVE ANY CODES. NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR. I TOLD THEM THAT I DIDN'T WANT THE CAR BACK. SINCE THEY DIDN'T SEE AN ISSUE I TOLD THEM I WOULD TRADE IT IN AND THEY COULD BE LIABLE FOR SOMEONE ELSE GETTING HURT. FUNNY HOW ALL OF THE SUDDEN THEY TOTALED OUT THE CAR. I ENDED UP GETTING A CONCUSSION AND WHIPLASH AND WILL BE DOCTORING FOR A WHILE. THE PERSON AT BMW THAT WAS TAKING CARE OF THIS IS MICHAEL AND HIS PHONE NUMBER IS 201-571-5820. WE WERE TOLD BY AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE PERSON THAT GOING AFTER BMW TO GET THE REPORTS FROM THE TECHS WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT. WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE REPORTS SAY. I FEEL LIKE WE WERE GIVEN THE RUN AROUND. I WANT BMW TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAVE ISSUES WITH SUDDEN EXCELERATION. I AM VERY ANGRY ON HOW I WAS TREATED. THEY GAVE US NO INFORMATION AND WE WERE WITHOUT A CAR FOR 7 WEEKS. THE LAST WEEK THEY FINALLY GAVE US A RENTAL. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS FOR ME.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 BMW X3, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Apr 2016
Aug 2016

MY BMW X3 HAS HAD ITS ENGINE MOUNT BOLTS SHEARED OFF. THERE ARE NO INDICATIONS OF THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE HAVING BEEN HIT BY ANY OBJECTS. THE VEHICLE'S MILEAGE IS IN THE LOW 90,000 MILE RANGE. AN INTERNET SEARCH REVEALS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM HAPPENING TO MANY BMW X3'S, AT LOW MILEAGE. THEY ALSO CLAIM THAT THE BROKEN MOTOR MOUNT BOLTS, COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE BMW SERVICE MANAGER, I TALKED TO, INDICATED THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS SIMILAR ISSUES, BUT WAS NOT AWARE HOW WIDE SPREAD THE PROBLEM IS. HIS GUESS OF WHY THIS MAY BE HAPPENING IS DUE TO DIFFERENT THERMAL EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OF THE 3 DIFFERENT METALS INVOLVED IN THE MOUNTING SYSTEM. THE WAY I DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE ENGINE OIL DRAIN PLUG WAS MISALIGNED WITH A PROTECTIVE SHROUD. I HAVE BEEN OCCASIONALLY NOTICING A THUMP COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I HAD MY BALL JOINTS AND FRONT-END CHECKED OUT ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT FINE. I SUSPECT NOW, THAT THE THUMP SOUND IS DUE TO THE SHEARED ENGINE MOUNT BOLTS. IF THAT'S INDEED THE CASE, I WOULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE VECHILE WITH THE ENGINE MOUNT BOLTS SHEARED OFF FOR ABOUT 1-1/2 YEARS, UNAWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE ENGINE MOUNTS ARE NOT EASILY INSPECTABLE, WHICH IS PROBABLY WHY THE MECHANIC THAT CHECKED OUT MY FRONT END SUSPENSION DIDN'T CHECK THE ENGINE MOUNTS AT THAT TIME.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 BMW X3, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Aug 2016
Feb 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW X3. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO OVERHEAT AND STALLED CAUSING THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE THERMOSTAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 BMW X3, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Oct 2014
Mar 2013

JAN 16 - CHECK ENGINE SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON - CAR RUNNING SLUGGISH. IMMEDIATELY TOOK TO DEALERSHIP - THEY DETECTED OIL SEPARATOR FAILING. CAR STARTED SMOKING AT DEALERSHIP. THEY REPLACED THE OIL SEPARATOR AND SEVERAL PARTS DUE TO DAMAGE - COSTS $2400. MARCH 22ND - SAME SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON - TOOK CAR BACK TO DEALERSHIP - THEY HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR 1 WEEK AND STILL HAVE NOT TOLD ME WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT OTHER THAN THERE IS OIL EVERYWHERE AND I MAY HAVE HEAD GASKET OR ENGINE DAMAGE. POSSIBLY LOOKING AT ANOTHER $1K TO $5K. THERE IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT WITH THIS PART CAUSING SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. THIS IS WIDELY KNOWN AND WELL DOCUMENTED ALL OVER THE INTERNET. THIS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY BMW AND CONSUMERS SHOULD BE GIVEN RELIEF ON THE COSTS. BMW SHOULD SUPPORT THE CORRECTION OF THIS DEFECT AND PAY FOR THE COST OF REPAIR. DEALER (CHATTANOOGA BMW) SHOULD HAVE ALSO INFORMED ME ABOUT THE BROADER ISSUE VERSUS ME FINDING OUT ON MY OWN RESEARCH. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 BMW X3, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Jan 2013
Aug 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW X3. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 60-65 MPH, THE CONTACT BEGAN DECELERATING FOR TRAFFIC AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN SHAKING AND THEN SHUT OFF. APPROXIMATELY TWO MINUTES LATER, THE VEHICLE WOULD RESTART. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED FOUR TIMES AND HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES FOR THE STALLING. THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. MOST RECENTLY, THE ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN ILLUMINATING INTERMITTENTLY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,352.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 BMW X3, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Apr 2008

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2006 BMW X3 has 6 Engine complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.