How safe is the BMW X3?
Drivers of the 2021–2023 BMW X3 died at a rate of 13 per million registered vehicle years, 62% lower than the average of 37 for all vehicles. That makes it safer than most vehicles for its driver: it ranks 29th of 129 vehicles, safer than 78% of them, whether they're small cars, SUVs, pickups or minivans.
Where the BMW X3 sits among all 129 vehicles
BMW X3 (bar is the 95% range)Every other ranked vehicleDashed line: average of 37
The rate is based on plenty of data, so this ranking is reliable.
2WD vs. 4WD
IIHS rates each drivetrain separately. The score above combines them, weighting the version with more data more heavily.
| Version | Deaths* | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| BMW X3 2WD | 34 | 0–71 |
| BMW X3 4WD | 11 | 0–23 |
Vehicles ranked near the BMW X3
These are the vehicles just above and below it on the all-class ranking. Notice they aren't all the same type: the ranking compares every vehicle against every other one. Ranks use each rate after adjusting for how much data is behind it, so a rate of 0 from a few vehicles can rank below a slightly higher rate from many. Why.
| Rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Ford Mustang Mach-E electric 4WDSUV · Midsize | 11 | 80 |
| 27 | Chevrolet TraverseSUV · Midsize | 12 | 80 |
| 28 | Lexus GX 460 4WDLuxury SUV · Large | 12 | 79 |
| 29 | BMW X3Luxury SUV · Midsize | 13 | 78 |
| 30 | Volvo XC40 4WDLuxury SUV · Small | 11 | 77 |
| 31 | Ford F150 hybrid SuperCrew 4WDPickup · Large | 13 | 77 |
| 32 | Toyota RAV4 hybrid 4WDSUV · Small | 15 | 76 |
How it compares with other luxury SUVs
Among the 24 luxury SUVs ranked, the BMW X3 is 12th. The safest luxury SUVs are below. See all luxury SUVs.
| Luxury SUVs rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BMW X7 4WDLuxury SUV · Large | 0 | 99 |
| 2 | Audi Q7 4WDLuxury SUV · Large | 0 | 98 |
| 3 | Porsche Macan 4WDLuxury SUV · Midsize | 4 | 98 |
| 4 | BMW X5Luxury SUV · Midsize | 5 | 97 |
| 5 | Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class 4WDLuxury SUV · Small | 0 | 93 |
| 12 | BMW X3Luxury SUV · Midsize | 13 | 78 |
Earlier models
In the earlier IIHS study of 2019–2020 models, the BMW X3 had a driver death rate of 0 (range 0–29) and ranked 8th of 127. The newer rate is higher.
Common questions
Is the BMW X3 a safe vehicle?
By real-world driver deaths, the BMW X3 is safer than most vehicles for its driver. Its driver death rate of 13 per million registered vehicle years is 62% lower than the average, and it ranks 29th of 129 vehicles across all classes.
How does the BMW X3 compare with other luxury SUVs?
It ranks 12th of 24 luxury SUVs. The safest is the BMW X7 4WD, with a rate of 0.
Is the 2WD or 4WD BMW X3 safer?
The 4WD version had the lower driver death rate (2WD: 34, 4WD: 11). Their ranges overlap, so the difference may be down to chance.
Why is this different from the BMW X3's crash-test rating?
Crash-test stars only compare vehicles of similar size and weight, so a 5-star small car and a 5-star SUV aren't equally safe. This ranking uses real-world driver death rates, which can be compared across every class.
* Driver deaths per million registered vehicle years. A registered vehicle year is one vehicle registered for one year.