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NHTSA model-year recall report

2020 BMW X3 Recalls

16 campaigns in our verified NHTSA snapshot, with source consequences, remedies, and VIN-specific next steps.

Check exact VIN status Decode a VIN

Urgent NHTSA instruction

Park It advisory found

1 campaign tells owners not to drive affected vehicles. 1 campaign carries a Park Outside instruction. Read the highlighted campaign details below and confirm applicability to your VIN immediately.

Campaign 19V678000Campaign 25V636000

16

NHTSA campaigns

12

Affected systems

2

Urgent advisories

Sep 23, 2025

Latest campaign date

At a glance

What the record says

This model year's count is above the BMW X3 average of 5.6 campaigns per listed year. That is context only—not proof that this year is safer or less safe.

The most frequent affected category is Back Over Prevention › Sensing System › Camera, appearing in 4 campaigns.

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  3. 3

    Repair

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Source campaign records

All 2020 BMW X3 recall campaigns

Shown newest first. NHTSA summary, consequence, and remedy text is preserved without truncation.

Park outside and away from structures

NHTSA campaign 25V636000

Electrical System › Starter Assembly › Relay

Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC

Reported Sep 23, 2025

What is recalled

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 BMW 330i, 2019-2022 BMW Z4, 2020-2022 BMW 530i, X3, X4, Toyota Supra, 2021-2022 BMW 430i, 430i Convertible, and 2022 BMW 230i vehicles. The engine starter relay may corrode, causing the relay to overheat and short circuit.

Safety consequence

A short circuit in the starter relay may increase the risk of a fire.

Manufacturer remedy

Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is complete. Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. 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 became searchable on NHTSA.gov November 14, 2025.

Campaign history does not confirm applicability or repair status for one VIN.

Campaign details

NHTSA campaign 24V764000

Structure

Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC

Reported Oct 15, 2024

What is recalled

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2022 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X3 M vehicles. The attachment for the rear cargo rail may become damaged in a rear crash and result in the cargo rail detaching.

Safety consequence

Interior rear cargo rail detachment during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will replace the rear cargo rail attachment bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicles in this recall were previously remedied for this issue under recall number 24V-534 and will need to have the new repair completed.

Campaign history does not confirm applicability or repair status for one VIN.

Campaign details

NHTSA campaign 24V534000

Structure

Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC

Reported Jul 17, 2024

What is recalled

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2023 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X3 M vehicles. The attachment for the interior cargo rail may become damaged in a rear crash and result in the cargo rail detaching.

Safety consequence

Interior cargo rail detachment during a rear crash can increase the risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will replace the rear cargo rail attachment bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Campaign history does not confirm applicability or repair status for one VIN.

Campaign details

NHTSA campaign 23V211000

Seats

Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC

Reported Mar 29, 2023

What is recalled

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i xDrive, 2020-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, 2021 X3 xDrive30e, X4 xDrive30i, and X4M vehicles. The seat frame may not have been welded properly to the seat rails.

Safety consequence

An improperly welded seat frame may not properly restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will replace the seat frame and back rest, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Campaign history does not confirm applicability or repair status for one VIN.

Campaign details

NHTSA campaign 21V598000

Engine

Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC

Reported Aug 2, 2021

What is recalled

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 M340i, M340i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, X3 M40i, 2020-2021 X4 M40i, 745Le xDrive, 2019-2021 Z4 M40i, and 2020-2021 Toyota Supra vehicles. During engine start, the engine management software may cause loss of braking assist. Full mechanical braking (without assist) remains available.

Safety consequence

Loss of braking assist can increase the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will update the engine management software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Campaign history does not confirm applicability or repair status for one VIN.

Campaign details

NHTSA campaign 21V096000

Back Over Prevention › Sensing System › Camera

Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC

Reported Feb 19, 2021

What is recalled

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, M550i, X4M, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5M, X5 M50i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, Alpina XB7, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, and 8 Series Coupe, Convertible and Grand Coupe, 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8, 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le, 745Le xDrive, X5 xDrive45e, X3 xDrive30e, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M50i, X6M, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 740i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, M760i Drive, M760Li xDrive, 750Li xDrive Alpina, Alpina B7 xDrive, and 2021 4 Series Coupe 430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive vehicles. When shifting into Reverse, a small portion of the rearview image may be obscured, or the screen may not illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Safety consequence

If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the missing or reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Manufacturer remedy

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Campaign history does not confirm applicability or repair status for one VIN.

Campaign details

NHTSA campaign 20V598000

Back Over Prevention › Sensing System › Camera

Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC

Reported Sep 30, 2020

What is recalled

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 X3 sDrive 30i, X3 xDrive 30i, X3M 40i, X3 xDrive 30e, X4 xDrive 30i, X4M 40i, 530i, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 550e, 550e xDrive, and 550e iPerformance vehicles. A small portion of the rearview image may be slightly obscured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Safety consequence

If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Manufacturer remedy

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, program the rearview camera with updated software. The recall began November 18, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Campaign history does not confirm applicability or repair status for one VIN.

Campaign details

NHTSA campaign 20V601000

Electrical System › Propulsion System › Traction Battery

Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC

Reported Sep 30, 2020

What is recalled

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 530e iPerformance and X3 xDrive30e and MINI Cooper Countryman All4 SE, 2020 BMW i8, and 2021 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le xDrive and X5 xDrive45e vehicles. Debris may have entered one or more of the hybrid battery cells during their production.

Safety consequence

The debris could result in a short-circuit, increasing the risk of fire or injury.

Manufacturer remedy

BMW will inspect and, if necessary, replace the battery module free of charge. The remedy is currently being developed. Until the remedy is completed, drivers are instructed to not charge their vehicles. Drivers are instructed to not drive in manual mode, sport mode, and to not use the shift paddles. Owners were notified of the safety risk October 23, 2020. The recall began November 24, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Campaign history does not confirm applicability or repair status for one VIN.

Campaign details

NHTSA campaign 20V490000

Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery

Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC

Reported Aug 18, 2020

What is recalled

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 330e and X5 xDrive45e, 2020-2021 X3 xDrive30e, and 2020 MINI Countryman SE ALL4 vehicles. Loose welding beads may form a conductive path between the hybrid battery cells which could lead to a short-circuit.

Safety consequence

A short-circuited hybrid battery may increase the risk of a fire.

Manufacturer remedy

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the battery modules, free of charge. BMW issued owners an interim notification on October 16, 2020. Although potentially affected BMW owners received interim owner notification letters, all potentially affected BMW owner vehicles have been remedied; therefore, BMW Final owner notification letters will not be necessary. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Campaign history does not confirm applicability or repair status for one VIN.

Campaign details

NHTSA campaign 20V443000

Back Over Prevention › Sensing System › Camera

Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC

Reported Jul 29, 2020

What is recalled

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 X3 sDrive40i, X3 xDrive40i and X3M40i vehicles. These vehicles were not programmed with rearview camera software during assembly, therefore, when the transmission is shifted to reverse, a rearview image is not displayed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."

Safety consequence

An inoperative rearview camera display can increase the risk of a crash when reversing.

Manufacturer remedy

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will program the affected vehicles with rearview camera software, free of charge. The recall began August 14, 2020. All vehicles have been remedied as of November 9, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Campaign history does not confirm applicability or repair status for one VIN.

Campaign details

NHTSA campaign 20V355000

Steering › Linkages › Tie Rod Assembly

Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC

Reported Jun 15, 2020

What is recalled

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019 Z4 sDrive30i, 2019-2020 330i xDrive, M340i and M340i xDrive, 2020 X3M and X4M, and Toyota Supra vehicles. In certain driving conditions, such as high temperatures and rough road surfaces, a steering gear tie rod may become damaged, possibly resulting in a fractured tie rod.

Safety consequence

A damaged or fractured tie rod may affect vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

BMW and Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear tie rods, free of charge. The recall began August 14, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.

Campaign history does not confirm applicability or repair status for one VIN.

Campaign details

NHTSA campaign 20V164000

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly

Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC

Reported Mar 19, 2020

What is recalled

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 X3 xDrive30e, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, X4M, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, 840i Gran Coupe, 840i xDrive Gran Coupe, M850i xDrive Gran Coupe, M8 Gran Coupe, X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, and 840i xDrive Convertible vehicles. The sensors in the front seat belt buckles may inaccurately detect a belted occupant as unbelted, possibly causing the air bag and seat belt pretensioners to deploy improperly in the event of a crash.

Safety consequence

If the air bag and/or seat belt pretensioners deploy improperly in the event of a crash, there is an increased risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

Manufacturer remedy

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the front seat belt buckles, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 18, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Campaign history does not confirm applicability or repair status for one VIN.

Campaign details

NHTSA campaign 20V152000

Electrical System › Instrument Cluster / Panel

Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC

Reported Mar 18, 2020

What is recalled

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 X4 xDrive30i and X4 M40i, and 2018-2020 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X3M vehicles. The instrument panel casing may not have been tightened properly to the passenger air bag.

Safety consequence

In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, the air bag could damage the instrument panel and cause small pieces of the panel to strike the driver or other occupants, increasing the risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the instrument panel casing, free of charge. The recall began May 15, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Campaign history does not confirm applicability or repair status for one VIN.

Campaign details

NHTSA campaign 19V738000

Steering › Rack And Pinion › Pinion Shaft

Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC

Reported Oct 16, 2019

What is recalled

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 BMW X3 M40i and X4 M40i vehicles. The steering rack pinion teeth may break under load, resulting in a loss of steering control.

Safety consequence

A loss of steering control increases risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

BMW has notified owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear, free of charge. The recall began October 9, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Campaign history does not confirm applicability or repair status for one VIN.

Campaign details

NHTSA campaign 19V684000

Back Over Prevention › Sensing System › Camera

Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC

Reported Sep 27, 2019

What is recalled

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 530e, 530e xDrive, X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive, X3 M40i, X3 M, and 2019-2020 X4 xDrive, X4 M40i, X4 M, X7 xDrive, X7 M50i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 8 Series Convertible and Coupe 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, X5 sDrive, X5 xDrive, X5 M50i, X6 xDrive, X6 M50i, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, Z4 sDrive, Z4 M40i, 740Le xDrive and 745Le xDrive, 2018-2019 640i xDrive Gran Turismo and Rolls-Royce Phantom, 2019 M850i xDrive Gran Coupe and Rolls-Royce Cullinan and 2020 Toyota Supra vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."

Safety consequence

The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.

Campaign history does not confirm applicability or repair status for one VIN.

Campaign details
NHTSA Park It instruction

NHTSA campaign 19V678000

Suspension › Front

Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC

Reported Sep 25, 2019

What is recalled

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, and X3 M40i vehicles, X4 xDrive30i, and X4 M40i vehicles. The front axle swivel bearings may not have been properly heat treated during manufacturing, reducing their strength and possibly causing them to break.

Safety consequence

Broken swivel bearings can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

BMW has notified owners and instructed them to not drive their vehicles. Dealers will replace the front axle swivel bearings, free of charge. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Campaign history does not confirm applicability or repair status for one VIN.

Campaign details

Other BMW X3 model years

Compare campaign histories within the same model. Counts are descriptive, not a safety grade.

20261 campaign20258 campaigns20243 campaigns20234 campaigns20228 campaigns202111 campaigns202016 campaigns201910 campaigns201811 campaigns20176 campaigns
View all model years

Other 2020 BMW recall reports

2020 BMW X712 campaigns2020 BMW X511 campaigns2020 BMW M340I10 campaigns2020 BMW X410 campaigns2020 BMW X610 campaigns2020 BMW R 1250 GS6 campaigns

2020 BMW X3 recall questions

How many recalls does the 2020 BMW X3 have?

This verified dataset contains 16 NHTSA campaigns associated with the 2020 BMW X3. A campaign can apply to some, not all, vehicles of the same model year.

Does this confirm an open recall for my 2020 BMW X3?

No. This page is a model-year campaign history. Use NHTSA's official lookup or an authorized dealer to confirm whether a campaign applies to your exact VIN and whether the repair remains open.

Are vehicle recall repairs free?

When a safety recall campaign applies to your VIN, the manufacturer remedy is generally provided at no charge through an authorized dealer. Confirm eligibility and scheduling with the manufacturer or dealer.

Source: NHTSA. Dataset includes campaigns through Jul 30, 2026. Last processed Aug 8, 2026. Methodology