YearToAvoid

2019 BMW X3 Collision Avoidance & Cameras Problems

NHTSA lists 15 Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints for the 2019 BMW X3, 9% of its 170 total complaints, with a median failure mileage of 33,000. Two related recalls (21V096000 and 19V684000) cover rearview camera and back-up camera software.

Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints
15
9% of 170
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
1
Median mileage
33,000 mi
Related recalls
2

Typical collision avoidance system symptoms owners report

  • Vehicle suddenly and forcefully brakes on its own at highway or city speeds with no obstacle, vehicle, or animal present.
  • Automatic emergency braking triggers in stop-and-go or moderate-speed traffic, nearly causing a rear-end collision from the vehicle behind.
  • Dashboard warnings appear reading messages like "Driving Assistance Reduced" or "Pedestrian Warning Not Working," and the Collision Warning feature fails to react when needed.
  • Blind spot indicators fail to detect passing vehicles, and the lane departure steering-correction feature stops working.
  • Multiple safety systems fail together, including the rearview camera, frontal collision/pedestrian alert sensors, and the emergency call system, often flagged with a persistent malfunction warning.
  • Software updates performed at the dealer sometimes fail to permanently fix repeat phantom braking events.

When 2019 BMW X3 collision avoidance system complaints were filed

First complaint Nov 23, 2020, latest Sep 14, 2026.

2019 BMW X3 collision avoidance & cameras complaints: complaints filed per month3Nov 2020Aug 2022Sep 2024May 2025Sep 2025Feb 2026Sep 2026
15 complaints filed with NHTSA from Nov 2020 to Sep 2026; peak Jan 2026 (3).

Collision Avoidance & Cameras recalls for the 2019 BMW X3

  1. NHTSA 21V096000Feb 19, 2021Collision Avoidance & Cameras13,858 vehicles

    Back over prevention:software

    BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, M550i, X4M, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5M, X5 M50i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, Alpina XB7, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, and 8 Series Coupe, Convertible and Grand Coupe, 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8, 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le, 745Le xDrive, X5 xDrive45e, X3 xDrive30e, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M50i, X6M, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 740i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, M760i Drive, M760Li xDrive, 750Li xDrive Alpina, Alpina B7 xDrive, and 2021 4 Series Coupe 430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive vehicles. When shifting into Reverse, a small portion of the rearview image may be obscured, or the screen may not illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

    Risk: If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the missing or reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

    Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

  2. NHTSA 19V684000Sep 27, 2019Collision Avoidance & Cameras257,473 vehicles

    Back over prevention: sensing system: camera

    BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 530e, 530e xDrive, X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive, X3 M40i, X3 M, and 2019-2020 X4 xDrive, X4 M40i, X4 M, X7 xDrive, X7 M50i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 8 Series Convertible and Coupe 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, X5 sDrive, X5 xDrive, X5 M50i, X6 xDrive, X6 M50i, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, Z4 sDrive, Z4 M40i, 740Le xDrive and 745Le xDrive, 2018-2019 640i xDrive Gran Turismo and Rolls-Royce Phantom, 2019 M850i xDrive Gran Coupe and Rolls-Royce Cullinan and 2020 Toyota Supra vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."

    Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.

Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints by X3 model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20050 (0%)
  2. 20061 (1%)
  3. 20070 (0%)
  4. 20080 (0%)
  5. 20090 (0%)
  6. 20100 (0%)
  7. 20110 (0%)
  8. 20120 (0%)
  9. 20130 (0%)
  10. 20140 (0%)
  11. 20151 (1%)
  12. 20160 (0%)
  13. 20171 (1%)
  14. 20184 (5%)
  15. 201915 (9%)
  16. 20205 (5%)
  17. 20217 (6%)
  18. 202211 (14%)
  19. 20231 (7%)
  20. 20248 (21%)
  21. 20259 (26%)

Frequently asked questions

How many 2019 BMW X3 complaints involve Collision Avoidance & Cameras?
NHTSA lists 15 complaints in this category for the 2019 X3, which is 9% of the 170 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2019 BMW X3 cameras?
Yes, two recalls apply: campaign 21V096000 covering rearview camera software and campaign 19V684000 covering back-up camera software, both remedied with a free dealer software update.
At what mileage do these camera and collision issues show up?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this problem area is 33,000 miles.
Did the phantom braking issue cause any crashes or injuries?
NHTSA data for this problem area on the 2019 X3 shows 0 crashes and 1 injury reported.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.