The contact owns a 2005 BMW X3. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact read the owner’s manual and saw that the failure indicated that the driver’s side seat belt receiver was faulty. The dealer was made aware of the failure and ordered the driver’s side seat belt receiver replacement part. The dealer originally informed the contact that the repair would be free of charge but later informed the contact that she had to pay for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 178,000.
The worst 2005 BMW X3 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Seats48
- Airbags30
- Electrical18
- Engine8
- Body7
- Transmission4
- Seat belts3
- Acceleration2
- Brakes2
- Driver assistance2
- Fuel system2
- Steering2
- Visibility2
- Lights1
- Locks1
- Suspension1
- Tires1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2005 BMW X3
Recalls 1
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- Bmw is recalling 200,000 my 2006 3 series sport seat, my 2004-2006 5 series standard and sport seat, and my 2004-2006 x3 passenger vehicles. Depending on the manner and frequency of the front passenger's entry and exit, small cracks have developed in the mat. If this occurs, the front passenger air bags, with the exception of the head protection system, will be deactivated and the air bag warning lamp as well as the passenger air bag "on-off" lamp will be illuminated.
- Risk
- In this situation the front passenger air bags will not deploy even if a sufficiently severe accident would occur and occupant protection provided by the system would not be possible.
- Remedy
- Dealers will rework the front passenger seat sensor mat so that external force application to the seat does not cause a crack to the mat. The recall began on november 6, 2008. Bmw will also extend the warranty on these vehicles to 10 years from first registration without any mileage limit. Owners may contact bmw at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 08V384000 · Recall details
See all 1 recalls for the 2005 BMW X3
Defect investigations
Bmw airbag light illumination
Bmw is conducting a safety recall campaign on approximately 200,000 my04 through my06 subject vehicles built through 11/30/05 to correct the front passenger seat air bag occupant detection mat. The specific vehicles included in the recall aremy04- 06/ 5-series with standard and sport seats, my04-06/ x3-series and my06/ 3-series with sport seats. In addition, bmw will extend the warranty coverage of the passenger seat air bag occupant detection mat to 10-year/unlimited mileage on approximately 120,000 remaining my04-06 subject vehicles built through 11/30/05. The specific vehicles included in the extended warranty are my 06/ 6 series, my 06/ 3-series with standard seats, my04-05/ z4, my04-06/ 7 series, my 06/ x5, and my04-06/ 5-series with comfort seats.the average frequency of failures among the extended warranty groups was less than 1/7th of the recall vehicle groups.please see bmw's 08v‑384 recall notification for further detailsdepending on seat configuration and vehicle geometry, the occupant detection mat can fatigue during use depending on the manner and frequency of the front passenger's entry and exit.specifically, over time, micro-cracks could develop in the side flanks of the mat causing a broken circuit.a brokencircuit can lead to the deactivation of the passenger air bag and the illumination of both the air bag warning light and the passenger air bag light.
EA08001
Bmw airbag light illumination
In certain my 2005 through my 2006 bmw vehicles, the occupant classification system (ocs) for the passenger frontal airbag may malfunction and render the passenger airbag inoperative.in june 2006, bmw issued a technical service bulletin (si b 72 02 06) regarding the illumination of the airbag warning light and the passenger airbag status lamp.illumination of these lights warn that an open electrical circuit may be present within the passenger seat mat sensor.when both of the lights are illuminated, the passenger frontal air bag will not deploy in a frontal crash.certain bmw vehicles in addition to the subject vehicles contain the same seat mat sensor.these are the my 2004 5-series, 7-series and x3, the my 2004 through 2006z-4 series and my 2006 3-series, 6-series and x5 vehicles.an improved seat mat sensor was introduced in december 2005 for the mid-my 2006 production.in response to odi's information request letter, bmw provided 1,172 owner reports and 28,238 warranty claims.initial review of the data indicate that 280 non-duplicating owner reports and 13,051 non-duplicating warranty claims may be related the subject defect issue on the subject vehiclesthis preliminary evaluation is being upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea08-001).
PE07045
Technical service bulletins for the 2005 BMW X3 62
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- While driving the vehicle on normal roads at10mph and above, a "cracking" sound from the top of the...
- The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few...
- A noise can be heard from underneath the seat while the seat is being moved either forwards or backwards
- This situation can result in two customer complaints: 1. Wind noise 2. Excess water entry
- The front sunroof glass seal has shrunk, creating a gap which can cause wind noise or excess water entry.
- Vehicle cannot be opened or closed using comfort access, engine start is not possible, and the vehicle may...
- Component-Specific Limited Warranty Extension
- Component-Specific Limited Warranty Extension
- BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective March 28, 2022) on certain Model Year 2022 BMW vehicles that...
- The 3G network in the US has been shut down
2005 BMW X3 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 15 | 22 | 17-18 |
| 3.0L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 14-15 | 21-23 | 17-18 |
What 2005 BMW X3 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Vehicle caught fire and burned to the ground taking my other car with it. This happened while parked after washing the carpets.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 bmw x3. The contact stated that the check engine indicator illuminated. The vehicle was purchased used on may 28, 2019. Leith porsche (700 autopark blvd, cary, nc 27511) diagnosed and repaired the check engine indicator, but the failure recurred. The dealer stated that if the check engine indicator illuminated again, the contact should take the vehicle to a bmw dealer. The manufacturer was not contacted. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 104,700.
River's seat heating unit overheats when on high setting, to the point of burning skin through the seat and clothing. Lower left lumbar . Per service shop, the seat heater grid is broken, causing 40 degree higher temperatures than normal in the left leg area. Ongoing issue, not a single occurrence
All other 2005 bmw x3 have a recall except for mine. I have had my airbag light come on twice. I have had my seat sensor on my passenger side replaced once. I feel like the recall should cover my vehicle.
The driver seat heating element burnt a hole through the leather seat. This happened while I was driving and wearing my seat belt. I felt the heat through my clothes and I was afraid it would catch my clothes on fire. I pulled over unstrapped my seat belt and examined the seat to find the hole burnt through.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 bmw x3. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the contact noticed a burning odor inside the vehicle. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road and noticed smoke coming from the front seat lumbar cushion of the driver's seat. There were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to taylor bmw (4180 washington rd, evans, ga 30809, (706) 868-6400) where it was diagnosed that the front driver's seat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. The approximate failure mileage was 118,000.
Daughter turned on vehicle, turned on heated drivers seat, as she was driving on a city street, began to smell something burning, pulled car over & got out, left vehicle running, continued to smell burning and began to see smoke. Saw that a burn hole was forming in the left side, bottom of leather seat. Turned seat heater off and smell and smoke diminished. Upon inspection of he clothing it was also discovered that the seat began to but a hole in her outer jacket. It did not burn through her clothing and she was not injured (thankfully).
The car is having a triad of lights with no problem found. Keep getting 4x4, ABS, brake, and now my passenger seat airbag warning lights. And researching online I found that smiliar year models were recalled for the airbag sensor.
It looks like that the shifting of the automatic transmission in bmw x3, 2005 3.0l are kind of delayed. I noticed while I push the gas pedal and speed is accelerating real well to the point when gear supposed to be switched but it does not happen. I have to temporarily, for one sec, reduce the gas acceleration and then it is shifting. As a result, the car drives is on lower gears than it should. The engine rmp is always on a high side. I am wondering what can be done to resolve this issue. Will the change of the transmission oil change this behavior. I have seen blog which talk about egs update bmw x3.
Compare the 2005 BMW X3
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2005 BMW X3
Is the 2005 BMW X3 reliable?
Owners have filed 103 complaints about the 2005 BMW X3, close to a typical X3 model year.
What is the 2005 BMW X3 year score?
The 2005 BMW X3 scores 66 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the BMW X3: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 BMW X3?
Seats, with 48 complaints, typically around 95,000 miles. Next is airbags (30).
How many recalls does the 2005 BMW X3 have?
1 recall, covering air bags.
What year does the BMW X3 have bad seats?
The BMW X3 model years with the most seats complaints are 2005 (48 complaints), 2006 (42 complaints) and 2004 (33 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2005 BMW X3 get?
Official estimates for the 2005 BMW X3 range from 17 to 18 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.5L 6-cyl, 4WD) gets 15 city and 22 highway.
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