Chile’s National Consumer Service (Sernac) issued a safety alert on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, concerning potential steering malfunctions in 123 BMW X3 vehicles sold in the country between June 2025 and January 2026. The alert stems from a reported anomaly in the software governing the vehicles’ power steering systems.
According to Sernac, the issue lies within the software responsible for monitoring and validating signals from the steering wheel sensors. Williamson Balfour Motors SpA, the Chilean importer of BMW vehicles, notified Sernac that the software may fail to correctly identify a malfunctioning sensor, potentially misinterpreting erroneous signals as legitimate driver commands. Critically, the system may too suppress the activation of warning messages on the instrument panel – typically displayed via the Check-Control system – that would normally alert drivers to a fault.
The potential consequences of this software flaw are considered a “critical risk to safety,” Sernac stated. The agency warned that the system could generate unintended or involuntary steering movements while the vehicle is in motion. Without a preventative warning, drivers could unexpectedly lose directional control, increasing the risk of collisions or veering off the road.
Sernac is advising owners of potentially affected BMW X3 vehicles to verify if their vehicle is included in the recall campaign by checking their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) against a list provided by the agency. Vehicle owners can also contact Williamson Balfour Motors directly via a dedicated call center (600 600 1323) or email ([email protected]) to confirm eligibility and schedule a repair appointment.
The corrective action involves inspection and reprogramming of the steering system’s control unit. Sernac has not yet indicated a deadline for owners to schedule repairs, but urged prompt action to mitigate the potential safety risk.
This alert follows a similar safety notice issued by Sernac in March 2025 regarding BMW vehicles, specifically models Serie 1, Serie 3, X1 and X3, concerning a defective airbag generator. That earlier alert highlighted the risk of airbag shrapnel causing serious injury or death upon deployment.
