2013 BMW X3 Complaints

THE REAR HATCH DOOR OPENS UNEXPECTEDLY. THIS HAS OCCURRED ABOUT 6 TIMES IN THE LAST 1-1/2 YEARS. IT LAST OCCURRED ON AUG. 3 AND OUR DOG -- WHO WAS SITTING IN THE REAR OF THE CAR -- FELL OUT OF THE CAR AS WE WERE DRIVING. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME OUR DOG HAS ABRUPTLY FALLEN OR JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR DUE TO THE HATCH UNEXPECTEDLY OPENING WHILE WE WERE DRIVING. THE PROBLEM: 1) MY WIFE AND I BOTH HAVE KEYS TO THE CAR. THE KEYS ELECTRONICALLY LOCK & UNLOCK THE DOORS. 2) WE PARKED THE CAR ON THE STREET, AND I LOCKED THE CAR SUCCESSFULLY WITH MY SET OF KEYS. 3) MY WIFE LEFT HER KEYS IN THE CAR. THE CAR REMAINED LOCKED. 4) AFTER AN HOUR, WE ARRIVED BACK AT THE CAR AND I OPENED THE BACK HATCH WITH MY KEYS IN MY POCKET. 5) AFTER THE DOG HOPPED INTO THE BACK OF THE CAR, I PRESSED THE "LOCK" BUTTON ON THE HATCH. THE HATCH SUCCESSFULLY CLOSED. 6) I WALKED TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND UNLOCKED THE DOORS, GOT IN, STARTED THE CAR AND BEGAN DRIVING AWAY. 7) AFTER MOVING ABOUT 20 FEET AND PREPARING TO MERGE ONTO A MAJOR ARTERY, PEOPLE ON THE STREET STARTED YELLING THAT THE BACK HATCH OF THE BMW HAD OPENED AND OUR DOG HAD FALLEN OUT OF THE CAR. THERE WAS NO BEEP OR ALARM INDICATING THAT THE HATCH HAD AUTOMATICALLY OPENED. 8) THE DIAGNOSIS: BMW EXPLAINED THAT IF A SET OF KEYS IS LEFT IN THE CAR, THE BMW IS PROGRAMMED TO NOT LOCK. 9) THE DANGER: INSTEAD OF SIMPLY NOT LOCKING, THE REAR HATCH AUTOMATICALLY OPENS. THE LOCKING/UNLOCKING IS INCONSISTENT AND THERE IS NO ALARM TO INDICATE THAT THE HATCH WILL OPEN. THIS HATCH IS HEAVY, SO IF THIS BEHAVIOR OCCURS IN A PARKING LOT, FOR EXAMPLE, IT CAN EASILY INJURE A PASSERBY. MORE IMPORTANTLY, ANYTHING IN THE BACK OF THE CAR -- DOG, CHILD, GROCERIES -- CAN EASILY FALL OUT. 10) TAKEAWAY: DOORS AND HATCHES SHOULD NOT OPEN AUTOMATICALLY. AN ALARM INDICATING THAT A SECOND SET OF KEYS HAS BEEN LEFT IN THE CAR IS A SAFER SOLUTION. *TR

IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON THE INTERSTATE I WAS BRAKING AFTER MOVING FORWARD A FEW FEET AND THE ENGINE STARTED RACING CAUSING THE CAR TO LURCH FORWARD (GIVEN I WAS ON THE BRAKE) UNTIL THE BRAKE WOULD NOT HOLD ANY LONGER AT WHICH POINT THE CAR ACCELERATED IN TRAFFIC DESPITE ME PUSHING EVEN HARDER ON THE BRAKE. THE BRAKE WAS COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE AT THIS POINT. I AVOIDED REAR ENDING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME BY SWERVING AROUND HIM BUT COULD NOT AVOID THE VEHICLE FARTHER AHEAD IN TRAFFIC AND HIT THE RIGHT REAR OF A UHAUL STORAGE UNIT TOWED BY A VEHICLE AND THE BMW FLIPPED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. MIRACULOUSLY, WE WALKED AWAY WITH ONLY MINOR CUTS, SCRAPES, AND BRUISES. SEAT RESTRAINTS AND AIRBAGS WORKED PERFECTLY WHICH IS THE ONLY KIND THING WE CAN NOW SAY DESPITE HAVING NO PRIOR ISSUES. WHETHER IT IS AN ONBOARD COMPUTER MALFUNCTION OR NOT WE WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER BMW... AND IF THE OTHER ONLINE POSTS HAVE BEEN THERE WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN SEPT 2012 (AND HAD I READ THEM) THEN I NEVER WOULD HAVE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. COUPLED WITH OTHER CARCOMPLAINT.COM, BMW COMMUNITY BLOGS, AND NHTSA POSTS SURROUNDING 2012 AND 2013 X3 EVENTS OF THE IDENTICAL NATURE THERE SHOULD BE AN IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION AS TO THE SIMULTANEOUS AND CONCURRENT EVENT OF THE THROTTLE ACCELERATION WHILE BRAKING, AND THE BRAKES FAILING (AS IF THE COMPUTER THINKS THE BRAKE PEDAL IS THE GAS PEDAL?) .. AND A RECALL BEFORE DEATHS OCCUR ... THOUGH IT IS LIKELY THEY'VE ALREADY OCCURRED SINCE THE DEAD CAN'T TESTIFY AS TO A PROBLEM THAT OTHER BMW DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENTS FAIL TO REPLICATE AND THEREFORE DISCOUNT. THE BACK HATCH OF OUR VEHICLE ALSO FLIPPED OPEN ALLOWING ITEMS TO FALL ONTO THE HIGHWAY (DESPITE NO IMPACT TO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE) THOUGH ALL PASSENGER CAR DOORS REMAINED CLOSED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOTALED. WE WOULD CERTAINLY NOT GET INTO THAT CAR EVER AGAIN EVEN IF IT WERE REPAIRABLE. *TR

ON FEBRUARY OF 2013 WHILE I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING LOT, THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER STARTED BY ITSELF AND SPRAYED ALL THE WASH FLUID UNTIL THE TANK DRAINED AND KEPT MAKING A LOUD NOISE (AUDIBLE FROM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE CAR) EVEN AFTER I TURNED OFF THE CAR ENGINE. I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALER AND I WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO FAULTY JUNCTION BOX. IT TOOK THEM TWO WEEKS TO GET A NEW JUNCTION BOX & REPLACE IT. AFTER ONE YEAR, ON FEBRUARY 7 2014, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED BUT THIS TIME IT IS THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER THAT STARTED BY ITSELF, DRAINED THE WASH FLUID TANK AND KEPT MAKING A LOUD NOISE. TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALER THE SAME DAY & I'M STILL WAITING FOR MY CAR TO BE FIXED. I WAS TOLD BMW IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE JUNCTION BOX WITH X3 CARS AND YET THEY DON'T NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FAULTY JUNCTION BOX UNTIL AFTER THE PROBLEM OCCURS (IT USUALLY TAKES MORE THAN A WEEK TO GET A REPLACEMENT JUNCTION BOX). IN MY OPINION THIS COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE; FOR INSTANCE IF THE WASH FLUID TANK IS DRAINED WHILE THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN IN A BAD WEATHER DAY ( SUCH AS HEAVY SNOW) WHICH REQUIRES TO FREQUENTLY CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD, IT PREVENTS THE DRIVERS ABILITY TO CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD AND COULD IMPAIR HIS/ HER VISION AND COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. BMW SHOULD RECALL ALL AFFECTED CARS AND REPLACE THE JUNCTION BOX BEFORE SOMEONE GET INJURED. *TR

CPSC: I1410202A. 2012 BMW X3. CONSUMER STATED THE HEATED STEERING WHEEL HEATS UP TO 105 DEGREES WHICH IS UNSAFE AND HAS TO BE TURNED OFF MANUALLY. *LN THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH HEATED STEERING WHEEL.

MY COMPLAINT IS SIMILAR TO THE FOLLOWING: QUOTE NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10546733 THE ISSUE IS WHEN YOU STEP ON THE BRAKE THE ENGINE RACES AND THE CAR CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW HARD YOU PRESS ON THE BRAKE YOU STILL GO FORWARD. END QUOTE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS CAN BE ENGAGED SIMULTANEOUSLY, PARTICULARLY IN HARD BRAKING THIS 4D 4X4 XDRIVE 28I (AND NEVER HAPPENED WITH OUR THREE PREVIOUS BMWS, WHICH WERE SEDANS). BRAKE PEDAL APPLICATION TRAVEL CAN EASILY FALL UNDER THE DISTANCE TO THE FLOOR OF UNAPPLIED ACCELERATOR PEDAL. TRAVELING THAT DISTANCE THE ACCELERATOR CAN SIMULTANEOUSLY BE DEPRESSED. BMW FACTORY INSPECTION FOUND NOTHING OUT OF SPEC. I CAN ONLY CONCLUDE IT'S A DESIGN DEFICIENCY, A CONDITION TYPE BMW NEVER ADMITS, EVEN IF IT CORRECTS THE CONDITION LATER. *TR

THE ISSUES STARTED HAPPENING IN JULY 2013. IT PROGRESSED. THE ISSUE IS WHEN YOU STEP ON THE BRAKE THE ENGINE RACES AND THE CAR CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW HARD YOU PRESS ON THE BRAKE YOU STILL GO FORWARD. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH, A TOTAL OF 13 DAYS AND THEY ARE COMING TO PICK IT UP AGAIN TODAY. YESTERDAY I SUFFERED THE MOST SCARY INCIDENT AS THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION AND WAS ALMOST HIT ON BOTH SIDES. *TR

I WAS UNLOADING A BOX FROM THE REAR LIFTGATE OF THE 2013 BMW X3 AND BRUSHED AGAINST THE PROTRUDING CHROME EXHAUST TIPS. I SUSTAINED A SIGNIFICANT BURN (2ND DEGREE) AFTER MERELY BRUSHING AGAINST THE EXHAUST. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS INCIDENT HAD IT INVOLVED A SMALL CHILD. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE EXHAUST TIPS EXTEND WELL BEYOND THE BUMPER AND ARE EXTREMELY HOT AFTER ONLY DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE (5MILES). THIS BMW X3 HAS THE 2.0L TURBOCHARGED ENGINE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW X3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER WOULD NOT STOP AND IT DRAINED THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WERE PARTS SENT OUT TO CORRECT THIS FAILURE BUT THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS STILL LOOKING INTO CORRECTING THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 740. *TR

CAR WAS TRAVELING 35 MPH WHEN THE BRAKES SUDENLY STARTED SLOWING IT DOWN AND DASH LIGHTS WERE FLASHING. WITH THE CAR STOPPED I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTED THE CAR AND WORKED AS IT SHOULD HAVE. A FEW DAYS LATER THE CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN AND PARKED WHEN I LATER WENT TO START THE CAR AND NOTHING WORKED. THE PARKING BRAKE WAS ON AND IT COULD NOT BE TURNED OFF. AFTER BEING TOWED TO THE DEALER, I WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM WITH ALL THE ELECTRICAL MALFUNTIONS WAS A LOOSE GROUND. *TR

ON THE FIRST OCCURRENCE I BRAKED SMOOTHLY AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT THAT WAS RED AS I APPROACHED. THE VEHICLE STOPPED AND THEN THE ENGINE REVVED AND LURCHED FORWARD SLOWLY 3 TO 4 TIMES TAKING ME THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AS I WAS PRESSING ON THE BRAKE. I COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. ONCE THROUGH THE INTERSECTION I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND APPLIED THE GAS PEDAL AND DROVE TO A NEARBY PARKING LOT. WHEN I CAME OUT OF A STORE AFTER 45 MINUTES, I TESTED THE BRAKES BY DRIVING SLOWLY IN THE PARKING LOT AND APPLYING THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES. EACH TIME BUT ONE THE ENGINE REVVED WHILE I HAD MY FOOT DELIBERATELY ON THE BRAKES, NOT ON THE GAS OR GAS AND BRAKE. IF I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE, THE REVVING STOPPED AND GAS OPERATED APPROPRIATELY. I DROVE HOME AND CALLED THE DEALER WHO HAD IT TOWED, CHECKED IT OUT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM AND SAID IT WAS FINE. IT WAS RAINING ON THE DAY OF THE OCCURRENCE. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE HAPPENED 6 DAYS AFTER THE FIRST, ANOTHER RAINY DAY. I BRAKED AT A STOP SIGN. THE VEHICLE STOPPED AND THEN THE ENGINE REVVED AS I WAS PRESSING ON THE BRAKE, THEN LURCHED FORWARD ONCE INTO THE INTERSECTION. I IMMEDIATELY REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE AND DROVE FORWARD. THIS DID NOT REPEAT AS I DROVE HOME. AGAIN THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, CHECKED OUT BY THE DEALER AND AN ENGINEER FROM BMW NA AND NOTHING COULD BE REPRODUCED. THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE THE CAR HOME. IT HAD TO BE MY ERROR. I OBJECTED THAT I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER CAR I'VE DRIVEN INCLUDING THE TWO BMW LOANERS THEY SUPPLIED. I TOLD THEM I WAS UNHAPPY WITH THE DECISION NOT TO CHECK IT OUT FURTHER ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY HAD NOT MADE ANY ATTEMPT TO TEST IT IN THE RAIN. BMW NA REPRESENTATIVE WAS ADAMANT THAT IT COULD NOT BE THE VEHICLE. *TR