What 106 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 BMW X3

The contact owns a 2020 BMW X3. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle and turning the engine off, approximately 10 minutes later a burning rubber odor was present inside the cablin of the vehicle and smoke was present coming from under the hood. The contact opened the hood discovered flames coming from the engine. The fire and police departments were called to the scene and the fire was extinguished the flame. During the incident the vehicle destroyed and later lowed away. A fire and police report was taken. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the incident. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: ( ). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 65,000.

NHTSA ODI 11741213

Component Failed: Engine starter relay and starter motor assembly. The vehicle stalled in traffic and ignited upon a restart attempt. The vehicle is a total loss, currently held by [Insurance Co] at [Location/Lot #], and is available for inspection. Safety Risk: The driver’s life was at immediate risk. The vehicle stalled in active traffic, creating a collision hazard, followed by a rapid, uncontrollable engine fire. The driver suffered smoke inhalation and severe trauma while escaping. A delayed exit would have been fatal. Confirmed by Dealer: The failure mirrors the defect pattern in Recall 25V-636 (Starter Relay Corrosion). While the fire prevents reproduction, the vehicle had a consistent service history with no prior electrical issues. Inspected By: The vehicle was inspected by [Insurance Co] and declared a total loss. [Optional: The Fire Dept. responded under Report #[Number]]. BMW was formally notified via demand letter on [Date]. Warning Lamps/Symptoms: No prior warnings. The failure was acute. A "Drivetrain Malfunction" message appeared seconds before the stall. Smoke and flames appeared immediately upon the attempted restart.

NHTSA ODI 11724444

The contact owned a 2020 BMW X3. The contact stated after parking her vehicle at her residence, the vehicle caught fire around the engine independently. The fire department extinguished the fire. A fire and police report were filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact stated no one was injured nor sought medical attention. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. The vehicle was not diagnosed. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 11,700. The consumer stated the police and fire reports have been requested and waiting to receive the reports.

NHTSA ODI 11507157

The contact owned a 2020 BMW X3. The contact stated the vehicle was stationary at a parking lot, when the front passenger informed her that there was smoke coming from under the passenger’s side hood. The contact stated a bystander attempted to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher but failed. The fire department arrived within 10 minutes and was able to extinguish the fire. The contact stated no one was injured nor was medical attention sought. A fire report was filed. A police officer arrived at the location and filed a police report. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to towing lot. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. The contact called the local dealer and left a voicemail. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.

NHTSA ODI 11426693

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 BMW X3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND UNATTENDED, IT SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT FIRE. ADDITIONALLY, A LINCOLN MKZ PARKED ADJACENT TO THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT LOT. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

NHTSA ODI 11405954