BMW x3 DPF issues

[Kimbo5]

The initial message was deleted from this topic on 06 May 2026 at 21:07

[journeymanpro]

You're not doing enough miles to prevent dpf problems at 17k over 2 years. You've got the wrong engine for your use.

[andrew-6xade]

journeymanpro said:

You're not doing enough miles to prevent dpf problems at 17k over 2 years. You've got the wrong engine for your use.

This

[E-bmw]

Whilst I do fully understand what you are both saying that isn't necessarily true.

Of course that depends on the type/length of journey rather than the annual mileage.

On top of that you have been told the DPF has failed, well has it?

Is it not more likely that there is another issue that is causing the issue as DPFs rarely actually fail. More likely they are the effect caused by other issues. Obviously one of which could be that it never regenerates properly.

[Sheepshanks]

journeymanpro said:

You're not doing enough miles to prevent dpf problems at 17k over 2 years. You've got the wrong engine for your use.

All DPF equipped cars, or just BMWs? Someone on here posted a 520d that had done 120K in 6yrs and it had a new DPF every year.

OTOH - my wife did shopping and school run mileage in a DPF and AdBlue equipped VW Tiguan for 8yrs and it never gave a moments trouble, and it was frequently stopped mid-regen.

[E-bmw]

Kimbo5 said:

Thanks all.

I spoke to my BMW garage, it turns out it s the DPF sensor that s has failed again having been replaced at end of Dec 2023, not the DPF itself.

I do low mileage as I wfh in the week, but it does get long journeys and the engine light appeared after a 255 mile trip to Devon on motorways.

As I said, I didn't think it would be the DPF itself.

So when they change the sensor do they also change the pipework for the sensor & clean the pipe outlets to ensure it isn't getting blocked?

[Xenoous]

We do 8-9k miles a year in our 2015 F25 X3 2.0d, and have had one issue with a blocked egr/pre-dpf pipe that we had replaced. Other than that it's been perfect. It's regularly taken on longish runs and is on the original DPF.

[bigdom]

Kimbo5 said:

Thanks all.

I spoke to my BMW garage, it turns out it s the DPF sensor that s has failed again having been replaced at end of Dec 2023, not the DPF itself.

I do low mileage as I wfh in the week, but it does get long journeys and the engine light appeared after a 255 mile trip to Devon on motorways.

How old is the car? I'd be checking the thermostats. If it isn't running hot enough, it won't regenerate regardless of a motorway trip.

[Fox-]

If it's a 2021 then the work would surely have been done under the factory warranty. You don't get an extra warranty and work done within this warranty so it would have expired in 2024?