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BrakesPart report

2011 BMW X3 Brakes Problems

Complaints
4about this part
Share
4%of 113 total for the year
Median mileage
54,500miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the brakes of the 2011 BMW X3, 4% of the 113 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 54,500 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“I pulled my car into my flat garage, placed it in park, turned it off and went into the house. 1 hour later it had rolled out into the yard. It was off and in park. It was towed and evaluated by a Bmw expert who determined there was nothing wrong. They said the car could not have been left in neutral and could not have been left on and then gone off. They had no explanation for the failure to hold the park position and that it was safe to drive!!! My insurance covered the $3200 damage and car rental. …”

NHTSA complaint #10435410, filed 2011-11, 8,000 miles

“While driving on an interstate road, exiting a tunnel, the x-3 suddenly, without any warning or indicators, lost the power steering and power brakes. The engine lost power and the dash board lite up with a myriad of warnings that made no sense. Then, just as suddenly the entire dash board went dark. The vehicle was extremely difficult to steer and stop. Since I was in fast moving traffic, the situation was scary to say the least. I found a place to pull off and did so. I turned the x-3 off. At restart it seemed ok, but the problem re-occurred again. I was able to finally get to my house. …”

NHTSA complaint #10777682, filed 2015-09, 88,863 miles

“The error chassis stabilization popped up with multiple lights on the instrument gauge cluster. Steering, acceleration, and braking were effected. After backing out of driveway, made a sharp right turn and warnings appeared. They also happen intermittently during driving, most often in the first 2 minutes of driving.”

NHTSA complaint #11279058, filed 2019-11, 60,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2011 Bmw X3. While driving at approximately 65 MPH during heavy rain, the vehicle violently decelerated to 35 MPH without warning. The contact stated that the failure was similar to slamming down on the brake pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed but the failure could not be duplicated. The failure recurred only during rain weather conditions. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 49,000. The VIN was not available.”

NHTSA complaint #10794363, filed 2015-11, 49,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Brakes: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2026314%
202525%
202425%
202256%
202165%
202022%
2019127%
201857%
20171213%
20161012%
201588%
20141113%
2013198%
2012512%
201144%
200915%
200823%
200711%
200611%
200522%
200432%

Other parts of the 2011 BMW X3

Engine
31 complaints
Engine cooling
24 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
23 complaints
Electrical system
22 complaints
Steering
21 complaints
Exterior lighting
10 complaints
Other or unknown
7 complaints
Air bags
5 complaints
Vehicle speed control
5 complaints
Electronic stability control
4 complaints
Fuel system
2 complaints
Seat belts
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2011 BMW X3

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology