2018
This problem appears in the reviewed records for this model year.
See the year recordReported years
Engine owner reports: BMW X3 years in the records
Owner reports are bound to model year 2018. A year on this list does not mean every car has the problem.
Years we reviewed
What to inspect
- 1Ask the inspector to test the named system and note any warning lights, noises, leaks, or stored codes.
Sources and limits
Source recordEvidence: Limited confidence
The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.
“While driving on the interstate lost coolant through the oil cooler housing. I had to quickly get to the shoulder of the road having to cross several lanes of traffic. The car had to be towed. I had it towed to the dealership where I purchased it as I paid for an extended warranty. Warranty company denied the claim. Through research I am finding this is an issue with BMWs as they part is plastic and does not stand up well with the temperature changes it is subjected to. This needs to be a recall. The car is still in the shop, 45 days later. Approximate cost to repair $2,840.00 plus tax.”
Source recordEvidence: Limited confidence
The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.
“Oil pump failure due to plastic brittle materials failing prematurely. It is a common problem that is well documented across the owners that have this vehicle.”
Source recordEvidence: Limited confidence
The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.
“BMW installed a part that is failing quite a number of vehicles including this vehicle. The oil filter housing was not properly constructed at the factory. Fails.”
Source recordEvidence: Limited confidence
The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.
“Vehicle lost coolant and warned me to pull over because of the engine overheating. Later was diagnosed with a leaking oil filter housing. Simply too early for such a component to fail. Left my wife stranded miles away from home in the snow.”
Source recordEvidence: Limited confidence
The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.
“A BMW dealership has indicated that the motor mounts on my vehicle need to be replaced. My vehicle has under 29,000 miles, and these parts are designed to last for 60,000 to 100,000 miles. A premature collapse of the motor mounts indicates a manufacturing defect, material weakness or installation error from the factory. I understand that this defect is common for 2018-2020 X3 models. The vehicle did not display any symptoms of this defect and no indicators were displayed on the on-screen monitor.”
Source recordEvidence: Limited confidence
The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.
“Coolant leak. Oil filter housing coolant leak. Water pump leak. Coolant leaked while driving, and vehicle was not driveable after arriving at the dealership when all the coolant purged out of the vehicle.”
Source recordEvidence: Limited confidence
The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.
“Light indicator showed low coolant levels. Car was leaking coolant slowly. Filled up coolant but levels continued to go down. Brought to mechanic and they had to remove oil filter housing to replace failing gasket. Car is about 113K miles.”
Source recordEvidence: Limited confidence
The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.
“PCV valve issues. Failing PCV valve. I bought my car in 2020 certified pre owned and having issues wi the the PCV Valve similar to the recall for 2018 BMW x3 M40.”
Source recordEvidence: Limited confidence
The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.
“BMW uses plastic coolant pipes which become brittle and crack causing huge issue with entire coolant system. It’s a known issue for bmw repair facilities including engine failure”