2021 Bmw X3 - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2021 BMW X3 SUV RWD has an outstanding overall safety rating of 5 out of 5, indicating excellent crashworthiness and protection for occupants in case of a collision. This vehicle also scored the highest rating in all individual crash test categories, including front crash, side crash, and pole crash ratings. Additionally, it is equipped with essential safety features such as stability control, collision warning, and lane departure warning, further enhancing the safety of the vehicle.

On the downside, there have been 35 complaints reported for this model, which could be concerning for potential buyers. Furthermore, there have been 6 recalls issued for the 2021 BMW X3, suggesting possible issues that may need to be addressed by the manufacturer. Overall, while the safety features and ratings of this vehicle are impressive, prospective buyers should consider the reported complaints and recalls before making a purchase decision.

auto generated summary, may be inaccurate.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

35

Recall Count

6

Investigation Count

0

Safety Rating

5/5

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Safety Features

2021 BMW X3 SUV RWD Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2021 BMW X3 SUV RWD

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

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Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

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Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

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2021 BMW X3 SUV RWD Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2021 BMW X3 SUV RWD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2021 Score 2024 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated 5 5
Front Crash Driver Side Rating Not Rated 5 5
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating Not Rated 5 5

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2021 Score 2024 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated 5 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating Not Rated 5 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating Not Rated 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated 5 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated 5 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2021 Score 2024 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated 4 4
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated 5 5

Complaints for the 2021 Bmw X3

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"driving on a highway with occasional traffic lights, my 2021 x3 plugin hybrid's sunroof's from glass cracked with a loud bang. i had it closed and the sun shade part also was closed. the loud bank also felt like an impact on my head and i felt in a bit of a shock like the time i was hit from behind with a shock and having to think. i first though it was a tire and slowed down to safely exit into a business parking lot to asses the situation. after checking the tires i noticed something on the roof. the glass was cracked and deformed in an upward direction. it was still pushing upward and a 4-6 inch section fell off and onto the top of the sun shade part. in safety, the loud shock caused a brief distraction on a highway going at least 50 mph. also if the sun shade was open some of the glass could have fallen on me. i searched online and found previous complaints about 'exploding sunroofs': https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2018/bmw-exploding-sunroof-lawsuit.shtml. i did not see anything coming toward the car or notice other cars possibly slowing down or getting hit by something that would have hit my sunroof and bounced around in the traffic. i mobile detailer helped clean up the glass so i can drive on and able to take it to the dealer."
Components Involved: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Date of incident: 2023-08-11
Complaint:
"sun roof glass shattered while driving"
Components Involved: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Date of incident: 2025-02-09
Complaint:
"on 10/7/22 my wife started her 2021 bmw x3 and the instrument panel did not appear. she drove the vehicle to the local bmw dealership. after being told that the reported problem had not been previously reported by any other x3 owner, the dealer tested the vehicle. a scan returned a fault code, b7f8f9 hu-h. a software reset was performed and a test plan was conducted. test plan directed technician to program vehicle due to unfavorable software. vehicle was programmed to the latest integration level. vehicle was test driven to confirm the repair."
Components Involved: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Date of incident: 2022-07-10
Complaint:
"while driving on a michigan expressway 1/28/22 the sunroof exploded nothing hit my vehicle the sunroof came crashing down in small pices and could of cut a child or got in anyones eyes plush the shock of the exploding glass i conyacted the bme dealer they did not help plus acted liked this vever ever happend i contacted bmw usa and they advised hard to prove it was a defect and it must of been outside force my insureance company did inspect"
Components Involved: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Date of incident: 2024-04-01
Complaint:
"my sunroof exploded while driving on the interstate. there was a very loud boom almost like a gunshot. all of the glass came crashing down into the cabin. this was an extremely dangerous situation as i was traveling on the interstate. there was no warning, no rocks or any other object hit the glass to initiate this occurrence. the vehicle will be inspected by the bmw dealer 11/1/21 and my insurance company is in the process of reviewing photos of the damage."
Components Involved: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Date of incident: 2023-06-10
Complaint:
"i was driving on i-10 w in phoenix arizona with my husband on thursday june 10th, 2021 when we heard a loud glass shattering sound. i immediately looked for a place to park or exit. i thought maybe someone was shooting at our vehicle in the freeway. i tried changing lane as quickly as possible to exit into baseline rd and parked at a parking lot. i was so scared looking at the mirror to see if anyone was following us. we walked around the suv checking the windows, windshield but no broken glass or holes on any of them. i thought of the moonroof/sunroof so i hopped on the bmw to check the moonroof/sunroof. the sunroof shattered into million pieces. i didn't see a warning on the dashboard. we didn't go under any bridge between elliott and baseline. there were no big trucks around us either. it shattered without warning. this happened between 11:00am - 11:30am, light traffic. my bmw x3 2021 is brand new, only 20 days old and approximately 400 or so miles. i believe it's a safety issue with the glass or moonroof/sunroof structural defect. definitely a highway safety hazard when it shattered out of the blue at 65 miles an hour. luckily we didn't have the sunroof open. it's extremely hot this time of the year in phoenix. i decided to drive it immediately to the bmw dealership. the service department checked it out and the service advisor told me to call my insurance. i contacted the bmw warranty department and the manager told me it is not covered under warranty. she was making the assumption that a rock hit the sunroof. i contacted bmw customer service and reported it. the bmw customer service executive called me back today and pretty much said the same thing as the warranty manager. bmw and nhtsa should investigate the occurrences of sunroof shattering without any apparent reason for the safety of drivers and passengers plus all the other drivers on the road who may get impacted by such an occurrence."
Components Involved: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Date of incident: 2021-10-06
Complaint:
"exploding rear passenger window glass sent fine glass particles and glass chips everywhere. was driving from 5300 ft elevation to 10800 ft elevation so it appears to be caused by faulty glass and air pressure change causing an outward push of air pressure. nothing hit the window. this was my first time driving the car. any rear passengers would have been hospitalized due to glass in the eyes. bmw is denying the issue is with their product."
Components Involved: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Date of incident: 2022-02-05

Recalls for the 2021 Bmw X3

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"bmw of north america, llc (bmw) is recalling certain 2020-2021 x3 sdrive 30i, x3 xdrive 30i, x3m 40i, x3 xdrive 30e, x4 xdrive 30i, x4m 40i, 530i, 540i, 540i xdrive, m550i xdrive, m5, 550e, 550e xdrive, and 550e iperformance vehicles. a small portion of the rearview image may be slightly obscured. as such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 111, "rear visibility.""
Consequence:
If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy:

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, program the rearview camera with updated software. The recall began November 18, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Component(s) Involved: BACK OVER PREVENTION > SENSING SYSTEM > CAMERA
Date of incident: 2020-09-30
Recall:
"bmw of north america, llc (bmw) is recalling certain 2019-2021 x3 sdrive30i, x3 xdrive30i, x3 m40i, x3m, x4 xdrive30i, x4 m40i, m550i, x4m, x5 sdrive40i, x5 xdrive40i, x5 xdrive50i, x5m, x5 m50i, x7 xdrive40i, x7 xdrive50i, x7 m50i, alpina xb7, 330i, 330i xdrive, m340i, m340i xdrive, and 8 series coupe, convertible and grand coupe, 840i, 840i xdrive, m850i xdrive, m8, 2020-2021 530e, 530e xdrive, 330e, 330e xdrive, 745le, 745le xdrive, x5 xdrive45e, x3 xdrive30e, x6 sdrive40i, x6 xdrive40i, x6 xdrive50i, x6 m50i, x6m, 530i, 530i xdrive, 540i, 540i xdrive, m550i xdrive, m5, 740i, 740li, 740li xdrive, m760i drive, m760li xdrive, 750li xdrive alpina, alpina b7 xdrive, and 2021 4 series coupe 430i, 430i xdrive, m440i xdrive vehicles. when shifting into reverse, a small portion of the rearview image may be obscured, or the screen may not illuminate. as such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor..."
Consequence:
If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the missing or reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy:

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Component(s) Involved: BACK OVER PREVENTION > SENSING SYSTEM > CAMERA
Date of incident: 2021-02-19

BMW Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

BMW ranks 12 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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