2016 BMW X3 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2016 BMW X3 has 82 complaints with NHTSA after 11 years, or 8 per year. That is more complaints per year than most X3 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 7. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Pump, Diesel fuel system, and Fuel pump.

2012 BMW X3 — Photo by Alexander-93, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (23 of 82), then Engine and engine cooling (18) and Engine (13). Those filings include 7 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 X3 has 0 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2017 has 92 complaints, 8 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 BMW X3. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (5)

Recall engine and cooling, cooling system, pump 2024-08-13 · NHTSA campaign 24V608000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2012-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 2012-2016 Z4 sDrive28i, 528i, 528i xDrive, 328i, 328xi, 2016-2018 X5 xdrive 40e, 2014-2016 228i, 228xi, 428i, 428i xDrive, 328xi Gran Turismo, 2013-2017 X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, 2015-2018 X4 xDrive28i, 2015-2016 428xi vehicles. An improperly sealed electrical connector on the water pump may be exposed to water and short circuit.

Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the water pump and plug connector as necessary, and install a protective shield, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2025. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Recall diesel fuel system 2021-11-19 · NHTSA campaign 21V907000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2013-2018 328d, 328d xDrive, 2014-2018 328d Sports Wagon, 328d xDrive Sports Wagon, 2014-2016 535d, 535d xDrive, 2015 740Ld xDrive, 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d SAV, and 2014-2017 X5 xDrive35d SAV diesel vehicles equipped with an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) module with an integrated cooler. The EGR cooler may leak internally, causing coolant to mix with diesel engine soot, which could result in smoldering particles and a melting intake manifold.

Remedy Dealers will replace the EGR cooler and inspect the intake manifold, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. This recall includes all vehicles previously recalled under 18V-755. Vehicles previously recalled under 18V-755 will need to have the new remedy performed for this recall. An interim owner notification letter was mailed on January 18, 2022. The remedy is expected to be available in June 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 6, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Recall diesel fuel system, delivery, fuel pump 2021-07-29 · NHTSA campaign 21V586000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014-2018 328d, 328d xDrive, X5 xDrive35d, 2014-2016 535d, 535d xDrive, 2015 740Ld xDrive, and 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d vehicles. The high-pressure fuel pump may fail.

Remedy Dealers will replace the high-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 14, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Recall engine and cooling, exhaust system, emission control, EGR valve 2018-10-25 · NHTSA campaign 18V755000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2013-2018 BMW 328d and 328d xDrive, 2014-2018 328d Sports Wagon and 328d xDrive Sports Wagon, 2014-2016 535d and 535d xDrive, 2015 740Ld xDrive, 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d SAV and 2014-2017 X5 xDrive35d SAV vehicles equipped with an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) module with an integrated cooler. If the EGR cooler leaks internally, the coolant can mix with diesel engine soot. The high EGR temperatures may result in these particles possibly smoldering and melting the intake manifold.

Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the EGR cooler as necessary. If a leak has already occurred, the engine intake manifold will also be replaced. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began May 13, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Recall child seat, LATCH strap 2016-05-23 · NHTSA campaign 16V333000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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.

Complaints by component (82 total)

Electrical system

Engine and engine cooling

Engine

Service brakes

Powertrain

Diesel fuel system

Seat belts

Air bags

Fuel and propulsion system

Speed control

Steering

Structure

Tires

Wheels

Exterior lighting

Fire-related

Show 8 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"While driving on a two-lane 40 MPH road in the left lane the vehicle suddenly lost power, stopped in traffic, and displayed a transmission warning message. Multiple warning lights were "on" and the car would not…"
Powertrain, Electrical system, Engine · filed 2026-07-17
"The contact owns a 2016 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle stalled with the drive train warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle…"
diesel fuel system · filed 2026-07-01
"Key Details of BMW EGR Recall: • Affected Models: Primarily 2013-2018 BMW 328d/xDrive, 535d/xDrive, 740Ld, X3 xDrive28d, and X5 XDrive35d. • The Problem: The Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) cooler may leak coolant…"
Engine · filed 2026-03-05
"The contact owns a 2016 BMX X3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The RPM was elevated; however,…"
Steering · filed 2026-02-04
"The contact owns a 2016 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair; however,…"
Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system · filed 2025-12-02

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2016 BMW X3 SUV AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2016 BMW X3 SUV RWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
X3 sDrive 28i	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	21	28	24 MPG	$3300
X3 xDrive28d	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	27	33	30 MPG	$3150
X3 xDrive28i	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	21	28	24 MPG	$3300
X3 xDrive35i	3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	19	26	21 MPG	$3800

Specs and fitment

F25 generation, 2012–2017

Body styles SUV

Oil 5W-30 full synthetic , 5.3 qt capacity

Tire size 245/50R18 to 245/45R19 (trim-dependent) front / 245/50R18 to 275/40R19 (trim-dependent) rear

Known issues for this generation

Recall 20V598000 covers certain 2019-2021 BMW X3 sDrive30i and xDrive30i vehicles (with many other BMW models in the same campaign) where an improperly welded tow hook receiver may break when used, increasing crash risk if a trailer becomes detached. Recall 21V096000 covers certain 2019-2021 X3 models (with X4, X5, and other BMW models) for a similar tow hook receiver weld concern; dealers inspect and replace the receiver as needed.

Compare

Previous year 2015 BMW X3 Next year 2017 BMW X3 See every BMW X3 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 BMW X3 reliable?

What are common problems with a 2016 BMW X3?

Is the 2016 BMW X3 more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2016 BMW X3 been recalled?

The 2016 BMW X3 has 5 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 BMW X3?

Owners have filed 82 complaints about the 2016 BMW X3 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 BMW X3 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 BMW X3 is 24.8 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2019 BMW X3?

G01 generation (2018-on).

What oil does a recent BMW X3 take?

G01 US notes list 0W-20 full synthetic; F25 (2012-2017) notes often list 5W-30 full synthetic.

What tire sizes does a BMW X3 use?

F25 fits often run 245/50R18 to 245/45R19; G01 trims commonly use 225/60R18 to 245/45R20.