Educate me on X3's

[Jean]

What years/model to avoid, what specific problem areas to look for?

Any major mid/year changes?

Thanks

[nomansland92]

we just bought a 04 x3 and so far we haven't had any problems, very nice suv clean good looking and good in the snow.

[e30e]

major transmission problems with no recalls, search bimmerfest x3 section.

[Court M3]

We've had ours for over 4 years now, with no problems, but BMW's maintenance schedule was not followed. Did all regular fluid changes not believing that lifetime fill crap. Most trannies fail before 80k IIRC.

[Stanley Rockefeller]

I never trust a car to shift for me, cause the more things a car does for me, the more I know I'll have to pay when it gets old.

[mxracerzero]

the X3 is a pretty good platform most issues with them are related to panoramic sunroof failure, window regulator failure. motor wise if its a m54 all normal stuff like valve cover gasket, intake air boots, crank case vent valve. stuff like that. if its a n52 electric water pump failure, vanos solenoids stiff/jammed. and hope lifters have been done if its before 08. trans wise I havn't seen much other then a vtg motor for the transfer case going out.

[BMWerke]

it was made for women, thats all I know about them. :)

[Sharino]

it was made for women, thats all I know about them. :)

so true

[Emre]

My dad has a 2006 X3 3.0 and I pretty much hate it. The interior and trunk space is significantly more cramped than the Subaru Forester 2.5XT he traded in for it. Visibility is worse, too. The damping sucks: too harsh on even smooth roads, yet still allows for significant body roll. The seats are hard and offer zero lateral or lumbar support. The interior feels cheap for a BMW. Fuel economy is hovering in the 15-17mpg range in mixed city/highway use, which is about what I get from the 5.6L V8 in my Mercedes 560SL. Worst of all, the handling truly sucks in the snow. The AWD system is a real dog.

Overall, there are very many vehicles I would prefer to an X3. The Forester 2.5XT was a better mini SUV in almost every respect. A 5-series wagon would also be much better.

[JBird]

I'd much rather have an X5. The X3's just look like the lowest, cheapest end model BMW. IMO they are ugly and a nice sedan would have the same if not more amount of space inside.

[5Toes]

Plus 1 for a forester. My family's handles great... beast in the snow

[Zasz]

X5 M, if you want to get a BMW SUV. Good luck buying it.

[87e30]

I agree with the comments above.

[Jean]

Auto Tranny that bad, fail at 80k?! wtf.

What year forresters?

[glucklich21]

I'll comment since we had one for 6 years since new in 2004.

2004-2005 models
-2.5 and 3.0l models avaialable, always get the 3.0l
-Rear window regulators tend to fail if the windows aren't rolled down that often. (Never had mine failed)
-People complain it rides too rough, I disagree. It can be bouncy on some roads tho.
-Make sure the sunroof drains are clean or expect the obvious. Also early models like mine had the tendency to rattle on rough roads.
-Door seals creak tremendously, dealer has a notice on it to fix it with updated ones, same for sunroof.
-If you hear a ticking while it's running it is the intake "adjuster unit" PN 11617502275. 04/2004 were the last models to have them.
-Always go for one with the sport package because the non sport seats are uncomfortable unless set at "sporty" angles.
-People don't like it's plain interior. I agree for a 40k+ new BMW, but not for the price range they are in now. I kinda liked how simple it was.
-2004-05 had the Anthracite headliner instead of the "kill me now" beige.
-The automatic models have no issues other than change the fluid in them every 40-50k despite what BMW says. 2007+ avoid like the plague.
-Manual models are much easier to find in these year models
-108k on ours with no issues other than maintenance
-@130k replace the diff and transfer case seals, they tend to leak around this time

-I loved mine, even with the auto, in fact I would have gotten another one if the sticker price wasn't more than my damn new 335i E90.