Issues since purchase

Hi Guys,

My wife bought a 2011 X3 35i M off the lot brand new back in October of 2011. I wanted to list all the things the car has gone into BJ BMW for and see if anyone else has had the following issues:

1) Heavy amount of wind noise coming from the driver side window by the mirror (ongoing)
2)Navigation unit sending us into oncoming traffic on a 10+year old road (reflashed system)
3)Headlights coming on in broad daylight (reflashed system)
4)Steering wheel tilt cover snapping (waiting for a new one to be made in Germany)
5)Driver side floor mat folded up like an elf shoe (replaced)
6)Front passenger vent melted (new one ordered)
7)Driver side suspension noise (ongoing)
8)Driver side mirror - lag folding in (ongoing)
9)Hatch rattle due to improper close (ongoing)
10)Rear windshield wiper arm bolt completely rusted (ongoing)
11)Howl coming from engine block - rear main seal vacuum leak - (completed)
12)Stereo freq squeal (pinched cable during service for number 11) (completed)


I was a die hard Lexus fan until my wife bought this BMW. Love the cars, love that I can do a lot of DIY on them (I have a 330i M), and I totally understand that the first year of production on most vehicles results in all the "bugs" popping up but man, this sucks! The car is in the dealership for weeks at a time. I don't mind as it keeps the miles off, but common!

Lemon it.

Drove in heavy rain for the first time yesterday and now one headlight is covered with condensation - we're talking a lot of water. First car I ever had get moisture in headlights.

Hello,

I bought my wife a 2011 X3 35i Sport fully loaded brand new back in August of 2011. I wanted to list all the things the car has gone into a friendly neighborhood BMW for:

1. Throttle lag ECU reflashing [my request]
2.

I thought I am gonna share!

Originally Posted by fastsoup

Hi Guys,

My wife bought a 2011 X3 35i M off the lot brand new back in October of 2011. I wanted to list all the things the car has gone into BJ BMW for and see if anyone else has had the following issues:

1) Heavy amount of wind noise coming from the driver side window by the mirror (ongoing)
2)Navigation unit sending us into oncoming traffic on a 10+year old road (reflashed system)
3)Headlights coming on in broad daylight (reflashed system)
4)Steering wheel tilt cover snapping (waiting for a new one to be made in Germany)
5)Driver side floor mat folded up like an elf shoe (replaced)
6)Front passenger vent melted (new one ordered)
7)Driver side suspension noise (ongoing)
8)Driver side mirror - lag folding in (ongoing)
9)Hatch rattle due to improper close (ongoing)
10)Rear windshield wiper arm bolt completely rusted (ongoing)
11)Howl coming from engine block - rear main seal vacuum leak - (completed)
12)Stereo freq squeal (pinched cable during service for number 11) (completed)


I was a die hard Lexus fan until my wife bought this BMW. Love the cars, love that I can do a lot of DIY on them (I have a 330i M), and I totally understand that the first year of production on most vehicles results in all the "bugs" popping up but man, this sucks! The car is in the dealership for weeks at a time. I don't mind as it keeps the miles off, but common!

I actually got my X3 35i M-Sport a couple months before that in 2011 and I have the following issues from your list:

1) Heavy amount of wind noise coming from the driver side window by the mirror (ongoing)
2)Headlights coming on in broad daylight (ongoing)
3)Driver side suspension noise (ongoing)
4)Driver side mirror - lag folding in (ongoing)
5)Hatch rattle due to improper close (ongoing)

I wonder how common these issues are...

Originally Posted by TN_SUP

Drove in heavy rain for the first time yesterday and now one headlight is covered with condensation - we're talking a lot of water. First car I ever had get moisture in headlights.

There is a TSB on that. Take it into the dealer and get it fixed.

Good to hear that I am not the only one.

I unfortunately cannot lemon the car because that only works in the state of California. In Canada, we don't have that option.

Originally Posted by dandanio

Hello,

I bought my wife a 2011 X3 35i Sport fully loaded brand new back in August of 2011. I wanted to list all the things the car has gone into a friendly neighborhood BMW for:

1. Throttle lag ECU reflashing [my request]
2.

I thought I am gonna share!

My 11 35i has been the same, although I am too lazy to take it in for the reflash. Will wait until it wants some oil first. I think my car knows how fickle I am about these things. . . .

Terrific build quality we're gettin outta Spartanburg........or perhaps a lot of y'all just got Monday autos.

Wasn't MY 11 the first year for Spartanburg?

MY 2011 was the first time that the X3s were built in Spartanburg, but the plant has been around since the mid 90's. The first-generation X3s were manufactured on a contract basis in Austria. The X5 and X6 are also manufactured in Spartanburg, and the plant previously manufactured 3-series sedans and Z3s.

The list of issues that I've had with my '11 35i is the same as Dandanio's:

1) Throttle lag

I know it may be hard to do when you really want a car, but I have a rule that I never buy a car in the first two years of production no matter how much I may want it.

Surprisingly, based on Consumer Reports surveys the 2011 X3 is one of the most reliable BMWs out there. For 2011, the biggest problem areas were in "Body Hardware" and the audio system.

Spartanburg has built all of the "new generation" (F25) X3s, even the 2010 versions shipped to Europe before they were available in the U.S. All current X3s, X5s, and X6s are assembled at the Spartanburg plant.

I'm feeling really lucky after reading about all of your problems! Our Mar 2011 has 19,000 miles with only the throttle-lag issue which I'm hoping will be fixed by the DME firmware update on its next service. It's a heavily loaded vehicle with nearly all of the options and all are working fine. Given the level of automation in the assembly process, it's amazing that so many things can get screwed up. You'd think that if anything was wrong the same problem would be replicated many times.

Our 2011 first oil change is scheduled for 18,000 (now 15k), mpg 22.3. Front-brake estimate in 6k miles.
Do you know how long does the 30k service take? Is that when they reflash with the latest software?

They don't reflash the software unless you have a specific complaint that a software reflash will resolve.

About the driver side suspension noise.

See my other thread on this, with me they replaced the steering rack (BMW Germany recommended and it worked).

It was like a clunking noise when either going over a pot hole, or sometimes a cluck noise when reverse on full lock and hit the brakes.

J

hi guys, i also purchased a 2011 35i last Nov with no problems. I have not had any problems. I also live in Vancouver and I am sure if I did have the list of problems, Auto West BMW in Richmond would for sure take a second look and maybe offer another X3. Sorry to hear of your troubles FastSoup.