2018 BMW X3 Engine Problems

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.

NHTSA ID

11730148

Incident

Feb 21, 2026

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.

NHTSA ID

11721034

Incident

Jan 6, 2026

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.

NHTSA ID

11721022

Incident

Jan 1, 2026

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.

NHTSA ID

11717167

Incident

Feb 3, 2026

Part number 17127799184 keeps melting. Over the years I have had multiple components under the hood to melt. I’ve replaced hydraulic lines, coolant reservoirs you name it. Most recently part number 17127799184 keeps melting. I’ve replaced this part three times. My car is currently at Bloomfield hill bmw of Michigan. They did a diagnostic but it states they cannot definitively tell me what’s causing the issue. They advise I start with replacing the heating module but cannot guarantee it will resolve the issue. They stated my car is producing no symptoms. I contacted the corporate office with hopes they would assist with a good will service request. However it appears not only do they not stand behind their products but apparently bmw’s are only meant to last 4-5 years. When questioned if it’s normal for components to continuously melt under the hood he agreed it is not. However refused to offer an equitable solution considering the issues I’ve had over the years and their mechanics currently not being able to state 100 percent what’s wrong with the automobile. When I told him my mother drove a Volvo for 20 years are you saying in 7 years parts on a car should melt? He didn’t offer a response wished me a happy holiday and concluded the call.

NHTSA ID

11706065

Incident

Jan 3, 2023

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.

NHTSA ID

11693868

Incident

Oct 15, 2025

Vehicle: 2018 BMW X3 VIN: [XXX] My 2018 BMW X3 has had continuous oil and coolant leaks for several years. Major parts have already been replaced including the turbocharger, oil cooler, water pump, turbo lines, radiator hose, thermostat, and valve cover gaskets. The dealer recently confirmed my crankshaft seals are leaking. These issues are consistent with a defective Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) system, which causes excess crankcase pressure and oil leaks. BMW issued an Extended Limited Warranty for PCV/valve cover defects on other models but said my VIN isn’t included—even though I’m experiencing the same failure pattern. This creates potential fire and safety hazards from oil leaking onto hot engine components, as well as the risk of sudden engine failure and environmental hazards from oil dripping onto roads. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate whether 2018 BMW X3 vehicles should be included in BMW’s PCV/valve cover recall or extended warranty coverage. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11692532

Incident

May 1, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11686666

Incident

Sep 4, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11680111

Incident

Jul 18, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11676753

Incident

Jul 24, 2025

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

NHTSA ID

11651459

Incident

Mar 26, 2025

My 2018 BMW X3 xdrive30i G01 series has been experiencing persistent overheating issues, even in cold temperatures as low as 40 degrees. The coolant reservoir boils vigorously while driving, but the temperature gauge does not indicate overheating, and no warning lights appear. The only alert displayed is a low coolant warning instructing to refill coolant or to top off. Recently, I noticed coolant and other fluids leaking from underneath the vehicle, along with a strong burning smell coming from the engine. Adding BMW brand antifreeze/coolant did not resolve the issue. Despite these ongoing issues, the authorized BMW dealership has refused to inspect the cooling system further because no fault codes appear. Independent repair shops have also been unable to diagnose the root cause. This presents a serious safety risk. The vehicle is overheating without warning, which could result in sudden engine failure while driving. The boiling coolant, burning smell, and fluid leaks also raise concerns about a potential fire hazard. This vehicle is now undrivable and unsafe. I urge NHTSA to immediately investigate potential cooling system and sensor defects in this model.

NHTSA ID

11648858

Incident

Oct 4, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the "Engine Coolant Level Low" and "Engine Overheating" warning lights illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to an Auto Parts store and purchased a gallon of coolant. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir and became aware of a puddle of coolant underneath the vehicle. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

NHTSA ID

11635922

Incident

Jan 14, 2025

Mileage

71,000 mi

The contact owns a 2018 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 48 MPH, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was hot, and the “Warning – Pull Over - Engine Overheating” was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road to allow the engine to cool down. The contact restarted the vehicle however, the message that the engine was overheating was again displayed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that several days later the vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that coolant was leaking from the bottom of the reservoir, and that the coolant feed lines, return lines, O-rings, coolant pump, connectors, seal for the intake system, and the oil filter housing component system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 89,000.

NHTSA ID

11635346

Incident

Jan 1, 2025

Mileage

89,000 mi

The contact owns a 2017 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact observed that the temperature warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and waited more than 30 minutes for the engine to cool down and was able to restart the vehicle. The contact had to stop again when the engine temperature warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that there was an electrical failure with the windows lowering independently, and the door locks locking and unlocking independently. The contact stated that the heater was no longer functioning as designed. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11615038

Incident

Aug 17, 2024

Mileage

139,000 mi

The contact owns a 2018 BMW X3. The contact stated while his wife was driving 65 MPH, a message advising to stop driving was displayed, and the vehicle simultaneously shifted into neutral(N) independently. The vehicle stalled in the middle of the highway and failed to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. The message advising to drive with caution was displayed after several minutes, and the contact was able to continue driving upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking from a hose. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that excessive engine temperature could have damaged the cylinder head and the rod bearings. The dealer recommended replacing the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that his son-in-law then towed the vehicle to another facility, where the vehicle was diagnosed by a mechanic; however, no engine failure or coolant leak were found. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 152,942.

NHTSA ID

11575803

Incident

Feb 9, 2024

Mileage

152,942 mi

The oil filter housing, which is made of plastic, cracked while the vehicle was running on the highway, leading to sudden loss of the all the coolant and engine overheating.

NHTSA ID

11572318

Incident

Feb 8, 2024

* Components: Per dealership, Heat exchanger (metal) and oil filter housing (plastic), oil filter housing supports the heat exchanger, vehicle inspected by dealership and available for further inspection. *Vehicle unexpectedly overheated while driving on interstate risking the safety of driver/passengers and others. Dealer's (manufacturer) technician stated that the heat from the metal exchanger warped the plastic oil filter housing causing coolant to leak from heat exchanger, thus not allowing coolant to circulate to engine (leaking out) and causing vehicle to overheat. Metal warping (or potentially melting) plastic seems hazardous *Dealer's technician (manufacturer) inspected and identified the problem and quoted a cost of $3,140.80 to repair (this is seemingly a manufacturer's design flaw). Vehicle's warning system displayed an alert that coolant level was low while driving on interstate and recommended adding coolant soon. Driver pulled over within 5 min of warning light and added coolant. Within 5 min of driving away, Vehicle's onboard warning system displayed warning that vehicle coolant was low and engine temperature was elevated but it was safe to drive a low speed and consult nearest dealership, 2 min afterwards, vehicle alerted driver that engine overheated and to stop vehicle and contact nearest dealership. Vehicle towed to nearest dealership.

NHTSA ID

11475035

Incident

Jul 17, 2022

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 BMW X3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HER HUSBAND WAS DRIVING AT 80 MPH, THE COOLANT LEVEL LOW, DRIVE AT A MODERATE SPEED WARNING MESSAGE HAD APPEARED ON HER INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND CONTINUED TO DRIVE AT A MODERATE SPEED AS ADVISED, SOON AFTER, THE PULL OVER, STOP THE CAR WARNING MESSAGE ALSO ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND HER HUSBAND PROCEEDED AS ADVISED. DUE TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE AUTOMASTER BMW (3328 SHELBURNE RD #3, SHELBURNE, VT 05482). THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY DISCOVERED A COOLANT LEAK AND THAT A PART NEEDED TO BE ORDERED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SAME COOLANT LEVEL WARNING MESSAGE HAD APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT HAD TWICE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO SOUTH SHORE BMW(1040 HINGHAM ST, ROCKLAND, MA 02370) WHERE THEY NEVER DISCOVERED A COOLANT LEAK AND WOULD TOP OFF HER COOLANT LEVELS EACH TIME SHE VISITED THE DEALER FOR THE SAME MATTER. THE DEALER WAS THEN NOTIFIED AGAIN OF THE LATEST FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO NORMAL VEHICLE OPERATION, THEY OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WITH THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE REMAINED IN THE POSSESSION OF THE AUTOMASTER BMW(3328 SHELBURNE RD #3, SHELBURNE, VT 05482) AND HAD YET TO BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD YET TO BE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6,000.

NHTSA ID

11351328

Incident

Jan 1, 2019

Mileage

6,000 mi