KnownCarProblems2004 BMW X3 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 138 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 BMW X3, most often about the seats (24% of complaints, typically around 77,000 miles). It is 4th of 23 X3 model years by number of complaints and has 1 recall.
Most common 2004 BMW X3 problems
Seats
33 complaints · 24%Half of these problems showed up before 77,000 miles. Parts named most often: front assembly.
The heated seat malfunctioned and burnt a hole in the leather seat. This easily could have caused a fire, had I not turned off the heated seat immediately. The heater must have shorted out. The spot where the short occurred, on the side bolster in the seat bottom, gets very hot and burned the leather.
I have a 2004 BMW that has a serious safety issue. The driver's seat has a seat warmer that burns through the leather and scorches through clothing. This is a danger to anyone driving this vehicle with the seat heater activated. It has caused near misses with other vehicles on the road with both my wife and I driving.…
Air bags
32 complaints · 23%Half of these problems showed up before 65,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal, sensor.
The contact owns a 2004 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 08v384000 (air bags) in the mail and stated that the manufacturer informed her that her VIN was not included in the recall, although she received a recall notice. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage…
Tl- the contact owns a 2004 BMW X3. The contact stated that the vehicle was impacted and the rolled over several times but the driver side nor passenger side air bags deployed. The contact sustained injuries to the neck, head and upper back. The vehicle sustained major damage. The current and failure mileage is 68000.…
Electrical
18 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 74,500 miles. Parts named most often: ignition, instrument cluster/panel.
Started the car and the airbag warning lamp came on and will not go off. The airbag has not been deployed and there has not been an accident. The passenger airbag status lamp is also on all the time. I am concerned the airbags are not working. The warning lights have been on for about 2 weeks.
Short circuit in heating element for driver's side seat. Shocks occur through leather when heater is active. Turned off heat and discontinued use of heating element to avoid damage/burns. Passenger side heating element is still ok.
Engine
17 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 93,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine, exhaust system, cooling system.
Tl contact owns a 2004 BMW X3. While driving approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled. Upon restart, the contact was able to continue driving. Approximately ten minutes later while driving 40 MPH, the failure occurred again. The brake, 4x4, and fuel lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact was able to…
August 1, 2010 took car to local BMW dealership northpoint to have air conditioner checked prior to 100,0000 mile warranty expiring. Told by dealership could not repeat diagnosis of why air was not cooling. On 11-15-2010 at 107,215 after warranty has expired a 3rd party diagnosed car as needing a evaporator coil which…
Transmission
11 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 14,500 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, driveline.
I purchased a 2004 BMW 325xi in march of 2004 from hunterdon BMW in lebanon, new jersey. At 10,000 miles, my transmission malfunctioned, light kept coming on so they replaced the valve body. A week later, the transmission light came on again. This time hunterdon BMW had my car in the service department over 2 weeks…
My transmission/vehicle at 40mph on flat or slight decent will jerk back and forth when you take your foot off the accelerator. BMW has replaced the torque converter, transmission, traction unit, ABS sensor unit, to say this is normal with the 2.5 engine. I find it surprising that this is the case. Now, since the…
Speed control
8 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 71,000 miles.
I was in traffic and not moving with my foot on the brake. Without warning, my car accelerated and hopped forward, almost hitting the car in front of me. I had to press firmly on the brake and put my car in park, but the engine revved up or squealed, lasting for about forty seconds. The dealership called it…
My 2004 BMW X3.0i has a hesitation on acceleration. When I am at a complete stop, and begin to accelerate on the gas pedal, light moving off from a red light, the car does a horrific amount of hesitating on acceleration, almost like someone is coughing, and does this each and every time I come to a complete stop and…
Body and structure
8 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 125,000 miles. Parts named most often: body, motorcycle.
I was driving the 405 fwy s close to lax when all of a sudden I heard like wind blowing inside my car then I heard a loud sound that something fell or thinking that my car must have stepped on something I looked at the windows at the back seat and both are closed then I saw the driver of another car that was driving…
There was a very mild rain last two days in madison. Now my car has central lock problem and also wet floor. I'm happy that I was not driving the car while it was raining. I read over the internet that many BMW X3 have this water leakage and electrical problems. A wet interior and a live electrical system, and you…
Visibility and wipers
8 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 68,000 miles. Parts named most often: windshield, power window devices and controls, defroster/defogger/hvac system, glass, side/rear.
Tl- the contact owns a 2004 BMW X3. The contact stated that the vehicle was impacted and the rolled over several times but the driver side nor passenger side air bags deployed. The contact sustained injuries to the neck, head and upper back. The vehicle sustained major damage. The current and failure mileage is 68000.…
Frontal differential and window motor went bad at the same time. The SUV only has 80, 000 miles and is having all kinds of mechanical problems already. I bought a BMW because I was under the impression that they build good cars not lemons.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2004 BMW X3 recalls
Air bags: frontal
Risk: In this situation the front passenger air bags will not deploy even if a sufficiently severe accident would occur and occupant protection provided by the system would not be possible.
Fix: Dealers will rework the front passenger seat sensor mat so that external force application to the seat does not cause a crack to the mat. The recall began on november 6, 2008. Bmw will also extend the warranty on these vehicles to 10 years from first registration without any mileage limit. Owners may contact bmw at 1-800-525-7417.
Full defect summary
Bmw is recalling 200,000 my 2006 3 series sport seat, my 2004-2006 5 series standard and sport seat, and my 2004-2006 x3 passenger vehicles. Depending on the manner and frequency of the front passenger's entry and exit, small cracks have developed in the mat. If this occurs, the front passenger air bags, with the exception of the head protection system, will be deactivated and the air bag warning lamp as well as the passenger air bag "on-off" lamp will be illuminated.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Bmw airbag light illumination
Summary
Bmw is conducting a safety recall campaign on approximately 200,000 my04 through my06 subject vehicles built through 11/30/05 to correct the front passenger seat air bag occupant detection mat. The specific vehicles included in the recall aremy04- 06/ 5-series with standard and sport seats, my04-06/ x3-series and my06/ 3-series with sport seats. In addition, bmw will extend the warranty coverage of the passenger seat air bag occupant detection mat to 10-year/unlimited mileage on approximately 120,000 remaining my04-06 subject vehicles built through 11/30/05. The specific vehicles included in the extended warranty are my 06/ 6 series, my 06/ 3-series with standard seats, my04-05/ z4, my04-06/
Questions about the 2004 BMW X3
- What are the most common problems with the 2004 BMW X3?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: seats (33 complaints, typically around 77,000 miles); air bags (32 complaints, typically around 65,000 miles); electrical (18 complaints, typically around 74,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2004 BMW X3 have?
- 1 recall listed by NHTSA, the latest from August 5, 2008 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2004 a bad year for the BMW X3?
- It is 4th of 23 X3 model years by number of complaints, with 138 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.