2012 BMW X3 BMW X3 2012

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2012 BMW X3 repairs by problem area

Engine (31%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (3%)

Brakes and Traction Control (1%)

Suspension and Steering (8%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (45%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (11%)

Other (1%)

Chart based on 74 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2012 BMW X3.

2012 BMW X3 repair cost distribution

$2500+ (6%)

$1000 - $2499 (4%)

$500 - $999 (0%)

$100 - $499 (10%)

< $100 (79%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 48 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2012 BMW X3 4dr SUV

turbocharged 300hp 3.0L I6 8-speed shiftable automatic AWD

BMW X3 in Colorado, United States
Feb 2012 - Jun 2012
Mar 2012 Loose bike rack 
BMW X3 in Wisconsin, United States
Apr 2014 - May 2014
May 2014

29000 mi
"Left Two-Stage Brake Lamp Malfunction" 
BMW X3 in California, United States
Aug 2012 - Mar 2015
Apr 2013

17300 mi
Noisy rattle in rear door hatch. 
Nov 2014

28100 mi
Loud rattle in rear hatch. 
BMW X3 in Ontario, Canada
Dec 2014 - May 2017
Jul 2016

58900 mi

C $3700
Overheating.. water pump was replaced. Misfiring on road trip... Injectors were replaced but problem persisted. Plugs which has just been replaced with aftermarket parts were replaced with BMW plugs and problem was fixed 
Sep 2016

63240 mi
2 fuel lines were found to be damaged and leaking fuel (noticeable odor when driving). They were replaced. Likely due to injector replacement in July. 
Dec 2016

66340 mi

C $2040
High pressure fuel pump failed. Not under warranty. Pump has to be replaced. 
BMW X3 in Florida, United States
Dec 2011 - Mar 2016
May 2012

4400 mi
Engine yellow light came on due to a faulty sensor and charcoal canister 
Aug 2012

7500 mi
Installed parts to fix yellow light issue. Fuel charcoal canister replaced and some sensors. Yellow check engine light came back on over a week later, replaced knock sensor. 
Jun 2014

29000 mi
Went in for regular scheduled maintenance and to check Bluetooth connectivity. 
Apr 2015

39700 mi

US $300
Windshield washers stopped working due to clogged lines. Disassembled system and cleaned all the lines 
Jun 2015

43000 mi
Coolant expansion tank developed a leak. Replace tank under warranty 
BMW X3 in New York, United States
May 2012 - Jul 2014
Jul 2014

20000 mi
fuel pump failure 
BMW X3 in Colorado, United States
Nov 2017 - Jul 2018
Jan 2018

51000 mi

US $350
Spark plugs replaced and windshield trim re-seated due to damaged clips from a prior windscreen replacement 

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2012 BMW X3 4dr SUV

turbocharged 181hp 2.0L I4 Diesel 8-speed shiftable automatic AWD

BMW X3 in Norway
Feb 2015 - Mar 2018
Jun 2015

40300 mi
Turbocharger replaced due to electronic failure. 
Aug 2016

55180 mi
Cruise control mended. 
Aug 2017

67580 mi

$3000
Replacement of egr valve 
BMW X3 in Norway
Dec 2011 - Jan 2015
May 2012

4420 mi
Did get this error message: NO ACOUSTIC SOUND. They have to change the whole AUDIO system. Must go back next week when the get the system. 
Mar 2014

22320 mi
Problem with Turbo. 

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2012 BMW X3 4dr SUV

turbocharged 181hp 2.0L I4 8-speed shiftable automatic AWD

BMW X3 in Great Britain
Dec 2012 - Feb 2017
Jan 2013 Clonking noise every 45 deg of steering wheel movement Heated steering wheel ceased to operate 

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2012 BMW X3 4dr SUV

240-horsepower 3.0L I6 8-speed shiftable automatic AWD

BMW X3 in North Carolina, United States
Dec 2011 - Nov 2014
Sep 2012

21000 mi
elec. short in auto rear hatch opener. rear hatch would open when any door was opened after being locked or left standing moring than 10 minutes and or just open when placed in gear. 
BMW X3 in Minnesota, United States
Dec 2011 - Sep 2015
Jul 2014

37300 mi
The powered liftgate opened normally but increasingly would not close when the appropriate button was pressed. The tech replaced the liftgate grip strip/exterior button assembly. A "TPM Malfunction" warning light and audio message lit and sounded while driving and came back on every time the car was started. Tech replaced the RDC module and performed a vehicle software update to the replacement. In temps below zero F, the car will start and run normally at first but after being shut off briefly (errands), will then display warnings & refuse to restart for approx 45 minutes. Tech said this is a common BMW issue with no known fix. 
Feb 2015

43000 mi
In subzero (F) weather, car would fail to restart after a short trip. After about 60 minutes, car would start normally. Dealership replaced the Power Distribution Module and installed a redesigned PDM cover. 
BMW X3 in Ontario, Canada
Mar 2015 - Jul 2018
Jul 2015

26440 mi
Engine light came on indicated battery charge issues. 
Aug 2017

56544 mi
Started sputtering, and the digital display showed engine malfunction. Delaer said it is due to ignition coil failure. Display showed engine malfunction again the day after one of the six coils was replaced. A second coil was found defective and they ended up replacing all the remaining coils to avoid future issues. 
Oct 2017

57660 mi
Passenger side tail light assembly failure. 
Jul 2018

65100 mi
When coasting at around 50 km/h I was hearing a whining noise. Eventually it became more noticeable. I suspected the final drive was making the noise. The warranty had ended in February, but I had extended it for 2 more years or 40K km. Warranty covered all costs, the dealer replaced the final drive. 
BMW X3 in Ontario, Canada
May 2015 - Jan 2022
Nov 2015

55800 mi
Dealer repaired all 6 spark plugs (under warranty), car would struggle sometimes when shifting gears. Engine notice would occasionally appear recommending I take the car in. 
Dec 2015

59520 mi
The tail light LEDs all stopped working. I'm trying to get the extended warranty to cover it. HVAC foot button stopped working 
Feb 2016

61980 mi
Coolant light kept coming on, shop performed a pressure test on the system, found a small crack in the coolant expansion tank which they replaced. Rear tail light LED were working very rarely, unable to determine root cause, replaced rear tail light assembly. I argued that the cause was the PCB so that the CPO warranty would cover it. 
May 2017

74400 mi
Rear left trunk light circuit board failed, this resulted in the LEDs to stop working. Repair was covered under extended warranty. 
Jan 2018

82460 mi

C $30
Had to re-solder a PCB board within the taillight assembly, pretty easy fix, and cost the price of a soldering iron. Every taillight I have had has had this problem, luckily the first three were covered under extended warranty. Steps to fix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDpBm6cP_yo 
Apr 2019

92380 mi

C $300
Right rear bushing was worn, car started to squeak when going over small bumps. Replacement of bushing fixed the issue. 
May 2020

104160 mi

C $1350
Rear suspension coil snapped 
Jun 2020

104780 mi

C $1200
Engine control unit 
BMW X3 in Wisconsin, United States
Aug 2016 - Jun 2018
Jan 2018

76000 mi

US $65
Ignition coil was bad. They replaced all six and the plugs under extended warranty Airbag replaced Trunk wouldn't close with power. Switch replaced 
BMW X3 in Virginia, United States
Sep 2016 - Dec 2016
Oct 2016

49000 mi

US $3000
Bad steering rack solenoid. Can't steer. 
BMW X3 in California, United States
Jun 2012 - Feb 2017
Jul 2012

4200 mi
The driver's door mirror was loose and would vibrate as you drove down the road. My service advisor said it was a software issue and that they performed reprogramming. Seems to have fixed the problem. 
Sep 2012

5000 mi
Warning light came on and threatening message displayed on screen saying car was low on coolant and this could cause major damage to the engine due to overheating. 
Apr 2013

11000 mi
When going in reverse, one of the backup warning sensors goes off intermittently even when there is nothing near the back of the car. 
Feb 2015

29000 mi
Updated computer software, rear distance control warning light kept going off when there was nothing behind car when backing up. 2nd attempt to get it fixed but they say no error codes so can't fix it. Bunch of idiots! 
Feb 2017

33000 mi
Intermittent rear distance control problem never fixed. 
BMW X3 in California, United States
Dec 2011 - Sep 2014
Jan 2013

15300 mi
light in door handle was out. Can't just replace light. Need to order a new handle assembly Seat heater button was sticking 
BMW X3 in Quebec, Canada
Oct 2012 - Nov 2015
Jan 2013

12400 mi
Car wouldn't start for 10-15 minutes. Known electronic relay malfunction. Relay replaced. 
Aug 2013

22320 mi
Center screen brightness dont work Bmw said. That the screen is the faulty element, but it was b/o! Repair is dated for september 12 
Sep 2013

24800 mi
Center display brightness did not work. The dealer change it september 12. It was the correct fix. 
Nov 2013

28520 mi
Noise under the car under irregular bumps on a road 
Jan 2014

12680 mi
The car didn't restart after a short stop at the end of a 50 km run or more! It's a relay again! Second time. Under extreme low temperature, -30c for example, a warning message inform "low battery". After a full charge of the battery, a short trip at the same low temperature, i have the same message. And my car is allways in a 5c garage! 
Feb 2015

48360 mi
Battery rapid discharge at very low temperature (-25C). The dealer have to reprogramm the electronic computer. They said that BMW have this problem with the entire BMW cars! The solution may work but they are not sure. 
BMW X3 in Ontario, Canada
Jan 2013 - Jun 2018
Jun 2013

7440 mi
The car was hesitating and the dealer conducted a software update as there was a service bulletin for this problem. 
Nov 2013

11760 mi
I could no longer store music on the hard drive via the USB port. BMW could not identify the problem. They changed some module, it did not work. They changed the whole control unit and it worked. 
Mar 2014

14880 mi
sunroof plastic trim made noise when going over bumps, noise more noticeable when it is cold outside. 
Jul 2017

44640 mi

C $450
Rear brakes needed replacing, pads, rotor 
BMW X3 in Arizona, United States
Aug 2012 - Apr 2018
Aug 2013

5000 mi
Just low tire pressure. 
BMW X3 in New York, United States
Jul 2013 - Sep 2016
Sep 2013

14000 mi
The computer that controls the xdrive including the ipod interface shorted out and had to be replaced 
Nov 2013

15400 mi
The tailgate opened when the unlock door icon on the key fob was pressed 
Jan 2015

18800 mi
Add Coolant light kept on lighting up in freezing cold. Twice the service department said there was nothing wrong, three gallons of coolant I added over two months, it was finally fixed by a "pressure test." 

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2012 BMW X3 4-door

turbocharged 6-cylinder diesel automatic AWD

BMW X3 in India
Nov 2013 - Apr 2015
Dec 2013

8060 mi
While driving, there was an alert saying transmission faulty, drive moderately to the nearest dealer 

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2011.5 BMW X3 4dr SUV

turbocharged 181hp 2.0L I4 Diesel 8-speed shiftable automatic AWD

BMW X3 in Great Britain
Jun 2016 - Jun 2018
Sep 2016

42000 mi

£800
Front swivel no longer within tolerance. 

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2011.5 BMW X3 4-door

2-cylinder diesel automatic 2WD

BMW in Victoria, Australia
Jun 2012 - Jan 2013
Nov 2012

16700 mi
My car has been having all type of problems such as sunroof replacement, water leaks, windscreen replacement, trims etc etc etc since I first bought it. None of these problems have been fixed. I hate to say it, but I will never buy a BMW again! 
Dec 2012

22940 mi
Wind screen has problems. Dealer unable to fit it properly. 
Jan 2013

22940 mi
Dealer has booked the car in to change parts inside car since lights are not working. Dealer will also have another attempt to fix windscreen trims.... 

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2012 BMW X3 Repair Histories

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 2012 BMW X3 problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.