The 2026 BMW X3 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 36,922 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 24 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the steering. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
STEERING25V8570002025-12-1136,922 affected
Defect
BMW of North America, LLC is recalling certain 2025-2026 X3 vehicles. While the vehicle is stationary, unexpected steering wheel movement (rotation) may occur.
Consequence
Unintended steering wheel movement while the vehicle is stationary increases the risk of an injury and on the road, a crash.
Remedy
The steering system software will be updated, free of charge, either over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer. Owner notification letters were mailed February 6, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov…
Complaints by component
STEERING
4
1crashes
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
4
VISIBILITY/WIPER
4
SERVICE BRAKES
3
1crashes
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
1
ENGINE
1
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“The contact owns a 2026 bmw x3. The contact stated that while vehicle was stopped at an intersection with the engine running, the message “auto start feature offâ€� was displayed, and the starter was cycling unexpectedly. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted but was…”
“The contact owns a 2026 bmw x3. The contact stated that while vehicle was stopped at an intersection with the engine running, the message “auto start feature offâ€� was displayed, and the starter was cycling unexpectedly. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted but was…”
“During the second day of ownership I was driving with no vehicles in front of me and only oncoming traffic, and I heard a loud cracking sound from the windshield. It did not sound like something impacted the windshield, and I did not see any object coming toward the vehicle. Two parallel cracks…”
“I purchased a new 2026 bmw x3 in november 2025 and a couple of months later as I was getting in the car for work, I turned the vehicle on and a ton of alerts were dinging off and the steering wheel went haywire along with the breaking, I could not brake and it was steering me off of the road…”
“I purchased a new 2026 bmw x3 in november 2025 and a couple of months later as I was getting in the car for work, I turned the vehicle on and a ton of alerts were dinging off and the steering wheel went haywire along with the breaking, I could not brake and it was steering me off of the road…”
“I purchased a new 2026 bmw x3 in november 2025 and a couple of months later as I was getting in the car for work, I turned the vehicle on and a ton of alerts were dinging off and the steering wheel went haywire along with the breaking, I could not brake and it was steering me off of the road…”
“We purchased this vehicle new. It has less than 3,000 miles on it. A crack has developed in the windshield, starting in the upper corner on the passenger side and extending approximately 18 inches diagonally across the windshield. There is no evidence of an impact on the windshield by a rock or…”
“This car was purchased new from an authorized dealer. After about 3 months of operation, I noticed a crack in the windshield starting at the upper edge of the passenger side of the vehicle. The crack has since spread approx. Halfway across the windshield. I'm concerned that this will continue…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2026 BMW X3 as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.