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BMW X3 Recalls

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Recall Date Problem Area Recall Text
01/12/18 BMW of north america, llc (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 230i, 230i xdrive, m240i, m240i xdrive, m2, and x3 xdrive 30i sav vehicles. these vehicles may have an error in the software for the instrument panel, causing the display to not properly illuminate. as such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 101, "control and displays."

If the display does not illuminate during start up or does not illuminate various control and warning symbols while driving, it can increase the risk of a crash.

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster display software, free of charge. the recall is expected to begin january 8, 2018. owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
10/06/17 BMW of north america, llc. (BMW) is recalling certain 2012-2013 BMW x3 xdrive28i, x3 xdrive35i, and m6 convertible vehicles and 2013 m6 coupe vehicles. the affected vehicles have a driver's frontal air bag inflator that may have been improperly welded.

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator housing could separate from the base plate and result in metal striking the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's front air bag module, free of charge. the recall began october 6, 2017. owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
11/01/16 BMW of north america, llc. (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2015 BMW x3 sdrive28i, x3 xdrive28i, x3 xdrive35i, x3 xdrive28d, x4 xdrive28i and x4 xdrive35i vehicles, and model year 2014-2015 x5 xdrive35i, x5 sdrive35i, x5 xdrive50i, and 2014 x5 xdrive35d vehicles. the affected vehicles have a driver's frontal air bag inflator that may have been improperly welded.

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator housing could separate from the base plate and result in metal striking the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's front air bag, free of charge. the recall began on november 1, 2016. owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
12/16/14 BMW of north america, llc (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2015 x3 and x4 sports activity vehicles manufactured july 28, 2014 to july 29, 2014. the affected vehicles may have been produced with a driver's side exterior rearview mirror that was designed to meet non-us market requirements. thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the federal motor vehicle safety standards no. 111, "rearview mirrors."

The driver may not notice that vehicles viewed in the mirror are closer than they appear, increasing the risk of a crash.

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's side exterior rearview mirror, free of charge. the recall began on december 16, 2014. owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or customerrelations@BMWusa.com.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
12/02/14 BMW of north america llc (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014 BMW 328i xdrive sports wagon, 2012-2014 BMW 320i sedan, 328i sedan, 320i xdrive sedan, 328i xdrive sedan, 2012-2013 BMW 528i sedan, 528i xdrive sedan, 2013-2014 BMW x1 sdrive28i, x1 xdrive28i sports activity vehicle, 2013-2014 BMW x3 xdrive28i sports activity vehicle, 2012-2014 BMW z4 sdrive28i roadster, and 2014 BMW 428i coupe, and 428i xdrive coupe. due to insufficient lubrication, the vacuum pump that supplies brake power assistance may fail. note: this recall is an expansion of recall 13v-454.

A failure of the brake vacuum pump results in a reduction in braking power that could increase the risk of a crash.

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will install a locking ring in the camshaft to retain the camshaft seal disk in the proper location, free of charge. the recall began on december 2, 2014. owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
01/31/14 BMW of north america llc (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 320i, 328i, 320i xdrive, and 328i xdrive sedans; model year 2014 328i xdrive sports wagons; model year 2012-2013 528i and 528i xdrive sedans, model year 2013-2014 x1 sdrive28i and x1 xdrive28i vehicles and model year 2012-2014 z4 sdrive28i roadsters. due to insufficient lubrication, the vacuum pump that supplies brake power assistance may fail.

A failure of the brake vacuum pump results in a reduction in braking power that could increase the risk of a crash.

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will modify the vehicles to prevent insufficient vacuum pump lubrication, free of charge. the safety recall began on january 31, 2014. owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at customerrelations@BMWusa.com.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
12/11/13 BMW of north america, llc (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2013 x3 xdrive 28i/35i vehicles manufactured february 11, 2013, through february 27, 2013. due to a production process error, the tear seam on the instrument panel was not manufactured correctly.

In the event of a crash, the air bag could improperly deploy, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the air bag's protection and increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger. in addition, parts or fragments from the air bag system could strike and injure the front passenger or other vehicle occupants.

BMW has notified owners and dealers will replace the instrument panel, free of charge. the recall began on december 11, 2013. owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at customerrelations@BMWusa.com.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
12/31/69 BMW of north america, llc (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2010 BMW x3 2.5i, x3 3.0i and x3 xdrive30i sports activity vehicles. the front passenger seat occupant detection mat that determines if, and how, the passenger frontal air bag should deploy in a crash may fatigue and develop cracks which could lead to a system failure.

Should the system fail, in the event of a crash, the front passenger air bag would be deactivated, increasing the risk of personal injury.

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seat occupant detection mat, free of charge. interim notices informing owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed november 20, 2017. owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available. owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
12/31/69 BMW of north america, llc (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2011 128i and 2007-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xdrive, 525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi, x3 3.0si, x3 xdrive30i, x5 xdrive30i, z4 3.0i, z4 3.0si and z4 sdrive30i vehicles. the heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (pcv) valve may short circuit.

An electrical short can cause the parts within the pcv valve to melt, increasing the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is not in use.

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the pcv valve heater, free of charge. the recall is expected to begin december 18, 2017. owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
09/24/14 Engine BMW of north america, llc (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 128i coupe, 128i convertible, 328i sedan, 328i xdrive sedan, 328i coupe, 328i convertible, 328i sports wagon and z4 sdrive 30i, 2011-2012 135i coupe, 135i convertible, 335i sedan, x5 xdrive 35i, and x6 xdrive 35i, 2011 335i xdrive sedan, 335i coupe, 335i convertible, 528i sedan, 535i sedan, 535i xdrive sedan, x3 xdrive 28i, and x3 xdrive 35i, 2010 x3 xdrive 30i, and x5 xdrive 30i, 2012 640i coupe, and 640i convertible and 2010-2012 535i gran turismo vehicles. in the affected vehicles, the bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment (vanos) unit can loosen over time and may possibly break.

If the bolts loosen or break the engine may have reduced power or stall. an engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the four vanos housing bolts for both vanos units (intake and exhaust), free of charge. in addition, owners of approximately 170,172 model year 2010-2012 BMW vehicles equipped with inline 6 cylinder engines not covered by this recall, will receive an extended warranty to address this condition. the recall began on september 24, 2014. owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
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10/11/16 Suspension and Steering BMW of north america, llc (BMW) is recalling one model year 2017 BMW x3 xdrive 28i vehicle manufactured on june 7, 2016. this vehicle has electronic power steering (eps), and the contact pins on the eps control unit may not have been welded properly resulting in increased resistance.

An increase in pin contact resistance can increase the risk of a fire, even while the vehicle is parked and ignition is off.

The vehicle was repaired at the dealership before sale. therefore, an owner notification notice will not be issued for this campaign. owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
08/10/11 Suspension and Steering BMW is recalling certain model year 2011 x3 passenger vehicles manufactured from april 27, 2011, through june 8, 2011. a control module in the electric power steering (eps) unit may malfunction, resulting in a sudden loss of power steering assistance.

Sudden loss of power steering assistance could increase the risk of a crash.

BMW will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. the safety recall is expected to begin during august 2011. owners may contact BMW customer relations and services at 1-800-525-7417.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov .
12/11/13 Electrical and Air Conditioning BMW of north america, llc (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2013 x3 xdrive 28i/35i vehicles manufactured february 11, 2013, through february 27, 2013. due to a production process error, the tear seam on the instrument panel was not manufactured correctly.

In the event of a crash, the air bag could improperly deploy, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the air bag's protection and increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger. in addition, parts or fragments from the air bag system could strike and injure the front passenger or other vehicle occupants.

BMW has notified owners and dealers will replace the instrument panel, free of charge. the recall began on december 11, 2013. owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at customerrelations@BMWusa.com.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
04/27/18 Other BMW of north america, llc (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW x3 xdrive30i and x3 m40i vehicles. the rear spoiler may not have been properly attached during assembly, or may be missing screws, possibly causing the spoiler to detach while driving.

If the spoiler detaches while driving, it can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the spoiler, correcting its attachment as necessary, free of charge. the recall is expected to begin may 1, 2018. owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
07/13/16 Other BMW of north america, llc (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2011-2017, x3 sdrive28i, x3 xdrive28i and x3 xdrive35i, vehicles manufactured july 2, 2010 to april 14, 2016, 2015-2017 x3 xdrive28d vehicles manufactured march 10, 2014 to march 31, 2016, and 2015-2017 x4 xdrive28i, x4 xdrive35i and x4 xdrivem40i vehicles manufactured march3, 2014 to april 15, 2016. the affected vehicles have lower anchor bars for securing child restraint seats that may become damaged when using the european-isofix-type, rigid-style connector, child restraint system.

Damaged lower anchor bars may increase the child's risk of injury in the event of a crash.

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will weld a reinforcing bracket to the lower anchor bars and the vehicle body, free of charge. the recall began on july 13, 2016. owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

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BMW X3 Recalls

Some things are often misunderstood about recalls and technical service bulletins (TSBs). Plus a disclaimer.

  1. Recalls do not have to be issued only because something is prone to failure. NHTSA (a government agency) can only require a recall if a failure will affect safety, emissions, fuel economy, or compliance with some other regulation or law. Manufacturers can voluntarily recall cars for problems that do not affect these, though.
  2. Recalls often apply to only some cars of a specific model year, rather than all of them. You should receive a letter from the manufacturer if your car has been recalled. You can also check with the dealer, which will know which (if any) recalls pertain to your car.
  3. The primary purpose of TSBs is to inform dealers about known problems with a car and how to fix them. They are not the same as recalls. As with recalls, TSBs often only apply to some cars, not the entire model year.
  4. Dealers often will not provide a preventive repair just because a problem described in a TSB might happen to your car. They'll usually want to observe symptoms that the problem is already affecting your car.
  5. Even if there are symptoms, a manufacturer doesn't have to pick up the cost of a TSB repair if the car is out of warranty, though sometimes they do.

We provide the text of recalls and TSBs as provided by NHTSA. There can be errors in the text. If you sign up for notifications in My Garage, we will try to get these to do, but for various reasons (some beyond our control) cannot guarantee you will receive them. When in doubt about a recall or TSB, contact the dealer.