2021 BMW X3 Exterior lighting Problems

“The passenger side daylight running light stopped functioning. I called BMW dealership while it was still under warranty and was told that if it was simply a light needing replacement it would be $500. At the next oil change I had a diagnostic test done and was told that the modules for both daylight running lights had overheated and melted and that a headlight also would need replacement. The cost of this was quoted at $4,200. This is a huge safety concern as this could easily cause an electrical fire. …”

“I was at a stop light and when the light changed I stepped on the gas. The car suddenly turned completely off. I had no steering, no braking no ability to turn the hazard lights on. I was in the middle of the street with traffic behind me and my child was in the back seat with me. The car completely died. There were no warning signs at all Cars started to go around me and I exited the car with my child to avoid getting hit because I could not put my hazard lights. I called my husband and after about 10 minutes I could see the headlights were on. …”

“The headlights will turn on and off irregularly without any drastic changes in outside lighting conditions while set in the Auto setting. No controls will be touched and the lights will turn on and off completely by themselves. It appears something is wrong with the lights switch assembly, as if something is shorting / wire is pinched. Other owners online forums have experienced similar issues as well. Can become a serious problem if it occurs while driving, especially in dark conditions.”

“Brightness adjustment for control display screen (backup camera, navigation,messages etc) has been eliminated from menu. Driver has no way to adjust daytime brightness anymore. Bmw replaced it with a interior brightness sensor in the upper left corner of the instrument cluster above the gas gauge. The danger incurs because the screen keeps changing brightness in the daytime based upon light entering the auto and hitting the light sensor. This happens coming out of a garage, tree lined street, cloudy day etc. …”

“On many cars including mine, and a family members 2021 8 series, BMW uses a light sensor on the instrument cluster to set the daytime dimming of the digital cluster and backup cameras. However, Florida-legal window tint confuses the system, and causes the screens to dim in a way that cannot be overridden or adjusted. There is a setting for screen brightness, however it is only active for night. This has caused difficulties reading the instrument display repeatedly. This is includes: collision warnings, back up camera, vehicle speed, and safety warnings. …”