BMW Logo

Transfer Case (out at 54K miles; $2K fix!)
Tire Pressure Sensors
Everything Leaks!

I am/was a huge BMW enthusiast... I've paraded around and bragged about how wonderful BMW's are and how great my 3-series sedan is. I've brainwashed my friends into buying them too. I fell for the twin headlights and the kidney grilles, and the overall amazingness of their sports sedans.

HOWEVER -

The X3 is absolute GARBAGE. I bought one for my wife and it has been a constant problem since I bought it. The car looked exceptionally clean and I have a moderate amount of mechanical knowledge and it seemed fine. The local BMW dealership looked it over, and they informally OK'd it as well. It came with all the buttons and the M-Sport Package... I thought that I had found an amazing deal!

Wrong.

First, the sunroof leaked, and was spouting water into the back hatch area... my battery and storage compartments were sitting full of water. Next, the back doors leaked and we found 3 inches of standing water in the back floor boards.

Next, the front passenger door decided that it would leak too.

After fixing the leaks, the car simply refused to be in working order and a tire sensor failed. Shortly after, we get a series of warning lights... and to make a long story short: transfer case has malfunctioned at only 54K miles on car.

Dealer quotes $1300 for part and his overpriced labor makes it $1950 for fix.

This car is a disgrace to the BMW moniker and seriously makes me reconsider my love for the brand. And I am not an isolated incident - read the BMW forums and read other reviews! This car is riddled with very serious problems and will not hold up over time.

Similar Products Used:

BMW 325i, Cadillac SRX

Excellent pre-owned value comparing to its Janpanese counter parts

I wish stereo and the rest of the front panel were closer.

Excellent SUV for money, I am getting an awesome MPG from mine.

Fun to drive when it works.

Intermittent wipers do not work. Numerous problems with breaking down. Car only has 54,000 miles. And is a complete lemon.

DO NOT BUY. Way too many problems. A BMW should be able to be driven at least 150,000, mine is already for the crusher.

Similar Products Used:

Chevrolt Blazer, way better than the BMW
Jeep Cherokee, way better than the BMW
Jeep Loredo, way better than the BMW
Toyota RAV4, way better than the BMW

When it runs right it is great but it rarely runs right

Bottoms out on hard right and left turns and tires intewrfere with struts. The transmission down shifts when it feels like it and has to be forced into 5th gear manually on occassion.

I have had the car for 6/7 months and it has been back to the for repairs 4 times for the same problem and never repaired. The salesman assured me that the car was right and not as bad as my last BMW. He was wrong it is worse!

Similar Products Used:

Ford Explorer Chevrolet,Blazer

I haven't test driven this vehicle, but because of the cheapness of the materials and the crude workmanship, I'm not interested.

Uncharateristically un BMW-like.
I was excited to test drive and possibly purchase an X3 but the fit and finish of this car is rough and crude. This vehicle had a MSRP of nearly $50K. I This has got to be an embarrassment to BMW. There is no way I'd consider this car for half the price they are asking.

I wouldn't recommend this vehicle at half the sticker price

Wet and bad road conditions. Great stability at high speeds. Decent MPG.

None

bought it used with 20,000 miles on it. I love the car. I drive it hard. Flog it like a rented mule and it never complains. Also have a Porsche C4 and a BMW 6 coupe, so my expectations are high. Best driving SUV i have ever driven. 27 MPG highway 19 city, consistently.

Similar Products Used:

Toyota Sequoia and 4Runner.

Interior room
Clean, simple interior with easy to understand and use controls.
Peppy engine with plenty of power for the weight.
Excellent steering and brakes.
Lots of glass for a spacious feeling
Plenty of room for cargo and passengers
Easy to fold down back seats

Horrendous ride quality.
Strange GM6 AT transmission as many others have noted before. Even with updates, it still seems odd and quirky and unpredictable.

Terrible gas mileage, nothing close to the specs.

The BMW X3 has the worst, absolutely the worst ride of any car I have ever driven. The problems in the 2004 were supposed to have been corrected for the 2007 and later models but has there been a slide back?

The BMW X3 pitches, rolls, rocks, bucks, bounces...however you say it...on flat roads for no reason. It is a mind-numbingly horrible ride. It would be bad in a $10,000 truck, it is unacceptable in a $40K+ (near $60K with options) SAV based on a sedan.

What in the world is BMW thinking to let this off the design floor and test track much less the production line?

Should your premium-paying customers have to wonder if they will be bumped from one side of the seat to the other while going to the grocery store? Should your premium-paying customers see things lift up off the floor because the X3 cannot stop its body movement?

This is not a problem of 'sporty' or 'stiff' ride. There is a bouncy movement that is set off by goodness knows what imperfection in a flat, paved road that keeps the car bouncing, bouncing, bouncing down the block. It is absurd.

Since it happens unexpectedly it is difficult to recreate which leads some to surmise that you are imagining things or simply unfamiliar with the sporty BMW suspension. BALONEY.

This isn't sport suspension, it is a hard, rocking, punishing ride in a $40K+ car. It is a DEFECT. If this is a design feature then BMW has some seriously insane designers with an axe to grind with their customers.

What is the story? Does anyone know?

What is up with the automatic transmission? After all this time (since 2007's raft of complaints) it still appears to exhibit strange behavior in an unpredictable manner.

Similar Products Used:

Other BMWs, other SUVs...none exhibited either the horrendous ride quality or weird AT issues.

Great Handling, heated seats, heated steering, traction, visibilty.

GM6 audtomatic transmission. Shifting is worse than a 16 year old learning to drive a stick. Sound system is very low grade.

This vehicle could have been great. However, all its strengths are over-shadowed by its horrible transmission known as the GM6. The 07 was the first year to use this tranny in the X3. It's primary fault is that it hesitates after a rolling stop such as merging into traffic, making an uphill turn, or entering a turn about. On more than once occasion this has caused a near fatal accident. BMWNA claims there is "No Problem Found" yet they are secretly buying back or trading out many customers in order to keep this off the "Lemon Law" books. It i smost prominent in cold weather when you really need an SUV to perform correctly and predictably. This is a very common problem and a very large percentage of owneres are now experiencing this.

Don't be fooled by being told that it has to learn with its "adaptive driving" or all awds do this. They don't and any BMW that DOES NOT have the GM6 transmission behaves like this. My recommendation is have the dealer give a 30-day waiver on the "Buyer's Remorse" clause they hide in most of their contracts. And make sure to test drive your vehicle for at least a weekend. The other option is to just buy the manual transmission version. I am currently pursuing a Lemon Law suit to get a MT to replace mine.

Similar Products Used:

Acura RDX, Nissan Murano, should have bought the Acura.

Good handling

MPG, no engine growl

I did not order the sports package so the ride is smooter. The accessories are great. It bogs big time when you floor it at 30-40 mph. I was used to the pickup of the Infiniti G35X and the BMW is not close. Dealer people were awesome.

Similar Products Used:

BMW 328X, G35X, Jaguar X 3.0, Lexus ES 350

Nice Ride, plenty of pep, awsome moon roof. and the heated steering wheel is way too cool

gas mileage. and no good sound from under the hood, i think it could use more groweel

Its been good.
Still feel that the dealer screwed me on the trade in, and the CPO is a boat load of BS dont buy it if your capable of turnning a wrench yourself.
it had 41K on it. I discovered the following issues.
It needs the following completed.
1. Cabin Air filter replaced
2. Intake air filter replaced
3. Engine flush (BG’s)
4. Oil change (Mobil one 0W30)
5. Oil filter
6. Spark plugs
7. O2 sensors
8. Transmission oil change
9. Transfer case oil change
10. Rear Differential oil change
11. Tires need to be balanced or the bent rim replaced Vibration between 65 and 70
12. Full explanation about the dash board and the pillars
13. Steering wheel needs the wrap to be replaced deep gouges at 2 o’clock
14. Clutch or pressure plate
15. Power Steering pump whining
16. Check ball joints

Similar Products Used:

none