BMW X3 (2004 – 2010) Review

• September 2003
• October 2004
• September 2005
• September 2006
• September 2007
• July 2008

01-01-0001:

Issues on a 2004 X3 2.5 (petrol) Auto received September 2009:

Prop shaft and transfer box fault - May 2007
Differential oil leak - May 2008
Automatic gearbox oil pump fault - Sept 2009
Corroded hand brake drums
Corroded roof rails
Seat belt plug broken
Normally only returns only 15mpg around town.

If the car has Bluetooth and the owner has their Mobile phone synched to the car then if the car is not locked / all electrics shut down the car will keep trying to search for the phone and drain the battery.

05-01-2013:

Turbo failures increasingly common at around 60,000 miles on 2.0 diesels. Cost £2,000 to replace. The failures are usually because owners switch off their engines while the turbo is still red hot, leading to carbonisation of the oil in the turbo bearing and in the oil feed to the turbo bearing. This cuts off the oil supply to the bearing and the turbo fails. If the pipework is not replaced with the turbo, then the new turbo will fail.

08-05-2013:

Another report of turbo failure on a 2.0 litre diesel, this one 3 years 10 mths old and 57,000 miles. Part of the reason is extended oil service intervals (they need an oil change at least every year or 10k miles) and part of it is failure of the driver to idles the turbo from red hot before switching off.

31-07-2013:

Reports of more turbo failures in this forum thread: www.bmwland.co.uk/forums//viewtopic.php?t=137164 The reason seems to be that the turbos are overheating and drivers are not idling them before switching off. Then, when the turbos are replaced, the dealers are not replacing the oil feed pipes which are often choked with carbon, preventing fresh oil from reaching the bearings of the new turbo.

01-08-2013:

Yet another report of turbo failure, this on a 2.0 diesel. " We have a BMW X3 2.0 Diesel. We have had ongoing problems since 2010 40k miles when the turbo needed replacing. Then at 60k it lost power and wouldnt go over 20 mph. Dealer diagnosed carbon build up. We agreed to a de-coke with BMW contributing due to low mileage. Then call came to say de-coke not sufficient engine scored to bits need new engine. Engine replaced and went ok for 2 months now losing power again. Mention was made of lack of regenerations when the dealer diagnosed carbon build up but replacing DPF not suggested and they have had £2.6k out of me (and the rest out of BMW) to replace the engine."

29-10-2013:

Problems with 33k mile 2007 X3 2.0 diesel. Has had new glow plugs, new exhaust damper, top end decoke, new turbo, new air mass flow meter, EGR clean, new DDE unit and updated software - all under warranty. I'm told the "swirl flaps" are perfect and that the DPF has been "regenerated". Still bad engine vibration/ resonance between 1500/2200 revs, under load only. It is especially bad in 6th gear, which equates to 55-70mph, felt throughout the cabin.

20-12-2013:

Appalling mis-diagnosis by BMW dealer of fault with 53k mile BMW X3 2.0d Sport, which was losing power. Dealer charged reader £700 to diagnose that the reason was carbon build-up inside the engine and estimated £3,800 to rectify. Reader took the car to an independent specialist who quickly discovered that the problem was a failed turbo which had failed because the oil feed pipe to it had clogged with carbon. Rectified by new turbo and new oil feed banjo pipe for £1,900. This is the common reason for problems with X3 E83 2.0 diesels.

22-01-2014:

Clicking noise from transfer box of E83 X3s is probably a worn plastic gear in the actuator that has had to work overtime dur to a disparity of the tyres (all need to be the same size, make and type with close to the same amount of wear). A new actuator is £750 - £900. More here: bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=566880

19-08-2015:

Poor servicing history of 2007 BMW X3 bought in 2013 at 59,508 miles led to multiple failures. The Service Booklet contained 3 stamps: 1. Oil Service – Jan 2009 / mileage 16,044; 2. Inspection 1 – Sept 2011 / mileage 43,913; 3. Oil Service – March 2013 / mileage 59508. So 43,464 miles covered between Oil and filter changes at 1 and 3. Vehicle history: 1. Turbo replacement & engine damage (repaired, not replaced) - Sept 2011 / mileage 43,911; 2. Turbo replacement - Oct 2011 / mileage 44,621; 3. Oil & Filter change - Mar 2013 / mileage 59,508; Reader purchased vehicle – Mar 2013 / mileage 59,508; 5. Turbo & Particulate filter replacement - Oct 2013 / mileage 68,424; 6. Oil & Filter change – Oct 2013 / mileage 68,424; 7. Turbo, Particulate filter & engine damage - July 2015 / mileage 90,000 for which quoted £5,000 - £6,000.

06-11-2015:

Timing chain failure reported on 2007 BMW X3 diesel within 5 months of purchase from independent dealer. Also needed a new turbo.

03-12-2015:

Sump level reported to be rising in E83 BMW X3 2.0 diesel. Indicates a malfunction of the active regeneration of the diesel particulate filter with extra diesel injected into engine to regenerate the DPF sinking into the sump.