2014 Bmw X3 XDRIVE35I - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

"i was driving the car on the highway when the engine suddenly stopped. after towing it to the auto mechanic, he informed me that the timing chain was damaged, so the oil pressure went down and the engine was gone. the car never displayed any warning messages. i was driving my father and my sister to the airport and the trucks could have hit us. there was no shoulder and i could hardly pull over on a small and narrow piece of shoulder on i17 south. bmw said a new engine and other parts would cost me $15,000."

"i started my car on 3/17/23 and immediately noticed two things: a 'drivetrain malfunction' error message in my console, and the engine was almost sputtering like it was about to die. when i put the car into drive, i then noticed that it had great difficulty to accelerate and change gears automatically. it was very unsafe to make any cross-traffic turns because it would be slow as a turtle putting me at great risk. immediately took it to schomp bmw, where it stayed for 5 days and was diagnosed with a timing chain issue. the cost for repair at the dealer was outrageous, so i transferred the vehicle to my local shop, the garage, to confirm the diagnosis and perform the actual repairs with original bmw parts which they had to order."

"the contact owns a 2014 bwm x3. the contact stated while driving 65 mph, the engine was running rough. the contact pulled over on the side of the road and noticed that the timing chain was stretched. the vehicle was not repaired. the vehicle was not diagnosed. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 47,000."

"all bmw n20 engines have a timing chain malfunction causing damage to the engine and hazardous driving. there was a lawsuit settled two years ago, however, anyone who wasn’t alerted of the settlement or had not experienced mechanical issues yet are now left with costly repairs on their as the claim window has closed. bmw lost the lawsuit - there is a manufacturing defect that should have been recalled. please help hold bmw accountable for repair all vehicles with this issue, not just some. thank you."

"faulty turbo hose causes oil to leak and smoke from engine. seems to be common problem that i wish bmw would address."

"turbo waste gate actuator rod rusted out. this immediately led to loss of turbo-charging, leading to a dangerous situation due to low engine output. there is no warning prior to this occurring. this is a systemic problem for this model/engine as evidenced by the bmw tsb: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2018/mc-10154818-9999.pdf i feel this issue is widespread enough and unsafe enough to merit a recall of the actuator unit/rod -- at least in northern states that use salt on their roads"

"i was driving home on a city street when the engine light began to flash. i was getting close to being home so i continued to drive to try to safely get my car off the street. it then began to drive slower and slower even as i was stepping fully on the gas peddle (well below the city street limit of 35, as cars started to go around me). the car then completely shut off. i luckily had made it to a neighborhood road and was able to glide over to the side as much as possible. however, because the car was no longer operational it was still in the street and i was stranded in the rain until the tow truck got there hours later. once i put the car in park it would not go back to neutral so i had to wait for a specific tow truck. once my mechanic was able to take a look he said that the timing belt had broken and destroyed the engine. in his opinion this is unheard of in a car with just over 70,000 miles and 6 years old. i had just purchased the car from a high end used dealership 5 months prior and they said they found that bmw had put an extended warranty on the timing belt for 70,000/7 years for this specific issue. when i called bmw they would do nothing because the warranty was no longer in effect, even a mile over 70,000. they clearly know this is an issue with this vehicle and never properly remedied a very serious safety issue. my normal commute is all freeway. this could have been a very serious, if not fatal accident if it had occurred on the freeway."

"the oil-feed line for the turbo on the (n20) engine of the 2014 bmw x3 was replaced due to leaking oil into the engine. on cold startup a plume of blue/white smoke is seen emitting from the exhaust tailipie for approximately 30 seconds. this bmw x3 has the standard, common n20 engine. this issue has been addressed by bmw for model years 2012 and 2013, but not 2014. this turbo-oil line failure is a well-known and common defect. bmw has issued "service bulletins" and extended the warranty on the 2012 and 2013 models for this express issue. the service bulletin is attached. bmw has been contacted and are refusing to cover the 2014 model although it is the same engine defect. the repair part includes a redisign of the original part and now includes a check valve. this is a clear example of defect in design. bmw verbage is listed below: the 'new' engine oil feed line part numbers listed above incorporates a 'check valve' on the engine side of the engine oil feed line. the check valve eliminates engine oil pressure equalization and the consequential engine oil leakage past the turbocharger's 'exhaust side' turbine seal. on contact with bmw i could not get a clear answer why the 2014 model was not covered, but i did get bmw to confirm that the engine and the original part are identical to the defect parts in the 2012 and 2013 model. would nhtsa open an inquiry on the 2014 model n20 turbo oil-line defect please? thanks [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr"

"engine began making clanking noise while driving on highway and rapidly worsened. engine started losing propulsion power and i pulled over. car towed to mechanic. oil filter inspected and was covered in metal shavings. informed that the bmw n20 engine can experience a premature timing chain or oil pump drive chain failure outside of the limited power train warranty period and unanticipated engine timing chain or oil pump drive chain failure may result in extensive engine damage (applicable to my vehicle) and could have resulted in serious safety hazard while driving on congested highways. my engine has been diagnosed as failed and requires a new engine. my vehicle had 76,000 miles at time of failure."

"dear nhtsa, the oil-feed line for the turbo on the (n20) engine of the 2014 bmw x3 was replaced due to leaking oil into the engine. the car was blowing white smoke when idling or driving, indicative of burning oil. this bmw x3 has the standard, common n20 engine and only 37,000 miles. unfortunately the repair was done outside the standard 4 year warranty period. yet this turbo-oil line failure is a well-known and common defect. bmw has issued "service bulletins" and extended the warranty on the 2012 and 2013 models for this express issue. the service bulletin is attached. they are refusing to cover the 2015 model although it is the same engine defect. by 2015 bmw had re-engineered the turbo- oil-line with a better check-valve. would nhtsa open an inquiry on the 2014 model n20 turbo oil-line defect please? sincerely, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr"