Reliable Auto DB

2021 BMW X4 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2021 BMW X4 has 6 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 0 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most X4 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 1. NHTSA has 7 recalls on file, including Starter, Relay, and Seats.

2015 BMW X4
Photo by Bull-Doser, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons Public domain
Complaints

6

Per year

0

Recalls

7

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (2 of 6), then Seat belts (2) and Powertrain (1).

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 X4 has 15 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2022 has 4 complaints, 1 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2022.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2021 BMW X4. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (7)

Recall electrical system, starter 2026-01-30 · NHTSA campaign 26V056000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Toyota Supra, 2022-2023 2 Series Coupe, 2021-2024 5 Series (xDrive), 2021-2022 Z4, 2022-2024 4 Series (Gran Coupe), 2021-2024 4 Series (Convertible and xDrive Convertible), 2021-2023 4 Series (Coupe), 2021-2024 3 Series, 2021-2023 X4, 2021-2024 X3 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of all models. The engine starter may overheat and catch fire due to wear on an internal component.
Remedy Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning March 24, 2026.
Recall electrical system, starter, relay 2025-09-23 · NHTSA campaign 25V636000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 BMW 330i, 2019-2022 BMW Z4, 2020-2022 BMW 530i, X3, X4, Toyota Supra, 2021-2022 BMW 430i, 430i Convertible, and 2022 BMW 230i vehicles. The engine starter relay may corrode, causing the relay to overheat and short circuit.
Remedy Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is complete. Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 6, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov November 14, 2025.
Recall Seats 2023-03-29 · NHTSA campaign 23V211000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i xDrive, 2020-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, 2021 X3 xDrive30e, X4 xDrive30i, and X4M vehicles. The seat frame may not have been welded properly to the seat rails.
Remedy Dealers will replace the seat frame and back rest, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall Engine 2021-08-02 · NHTSA campaign 21V598000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 M340i, M340i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, X3 M40i, 2020-2021 X4 M40i, 745Le xDrive, 2019-2021 Z4 M40i, and 2020-2021 Toyota Supra vehicles. During engine start, the engine management software may cause loss of braking assist. Full mechanical braking (without assist) remains available.
Remedy Dealers will update the engine management software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall gasoline fuel system, storage, tank 2021-03-24 · NHTSA campaign 21V199000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, and X4, and 2021 X4 xDrive30i vehicles. The inlet check valve weld may fail, allowing the filling pipe to separate from the fuel tank.
Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall is scheduled to begin May 17, 2021. Owners were also contacted by telephone. To date, all repairs have been done. No further owner notification letters will be sent. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2021-02-19 · NHTSA campaign 21V096000
Summary 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."
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.
Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2020-09-30 · NHTSA campaign 20V598000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 X3 sDrive 30i, X3 xDrive 30i, X3M 40i, X3 xDrive 30e, X4 xDrive 30i, X4M 40i, 530i, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 550e, 550e xDrive, and 550e iPerformance vehicles. A small portion of the rearview image may be slightly obscured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, program the rearview camera with updated software. The recall began November 18, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Complaints by component (6 total)

Engine
2
Seat belts
2
Powertrain
1
Suspension
1
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1202352026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "I am reporting a safety concern regarding BMW vehicles equipped with the B58 Technical Update (B58TU) engine, commonly found on models from 2019 to 2021. The oil pump in these vehicles is failing prematurely. I was told…"
    Powertrain, Engine · filed 2026-04-07
  • "The contact owns a 2021 BMW X4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V636000 (Electrical System). While the vehicle was in park(P), there were abnormal sounds coming from the engine. The contact…"
    Engine · filed 2026-02-11
  • "Went to sit in driver rear seat and put on my seat belt and found it frayed apart. Thought this was od and tried the rear passenger side only to find the exact same thing. Took it to the dealer in Visalia, CA. They said…"
    Seat belts · filed 2026-02-03
  • "BOTH rear seat belts have broken off in the same spot. Went to use the driver's side rear seat belt and found it had been broken (frayed off). Moved to the passenger side and found the exact same thing. This could have…"
    Seat belts · filed 2026-01-26
  • "transfer case AWD/xDrive system drivetrain components The dealer diagnosed a transfer case failure on the BMW X4 xDrive. Vehicle displayed drivetrain malfunction warning. Repair estimate exceeds $20,000. The vehicle has…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-01-09

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 BMW X4 M SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2021 BMW X4 SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
X4 M 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 14 19 16 MPG $5000
X4 M Competition 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 14 19 16 MPG $5000
X4 M40i 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 21 27 23 MPG $3450
X4 xDrive30i 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 23 29 25 MPG $3200

Specs and fitment

G02 generation, 2019–2025
Body styles Coupe SUV
Oil 0W-20 or 0W-30 (engine-dependent; ~5.6–7.4 qt with filter)
Tire size 245/50R19, 245/45R20 or 245/40R21; M packages may use 255/45R20–265/40R21 staggered front / 245/50R19–245/40R21 or staggered M packages rear

Known issues for this generation

Recall 21V096000 covers certain 2019-2021 X4 xDrive30i, M40i, and X4M vehicles (with X3, X5, X6, X7, 3 Series, 5 Series, 8 Series, and other models in the same ~13,858-unit campaign) where the rearview image may be obscured or blank when shifting to Reverse. Recall 25V636000 covers certain 2020-2022 X4 models (with 330i, 530i, X3, Z4, Supra, 4 Series, and 230i; ~199,674 units total) for a starter relay that may corrode, overheat, and short, increasing fire risk; dealers replace the starter. BMW has indicated 2025 is the final model year for the X4.

Compare

Previous year 2020 BMW X4 Next year 2022 BMW X4 See every BMW X4 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 BMW X4 reliable?

The 2021 BMW X4 has 6 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 0 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most X4 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 1. NHTSA has 7 recalls on file, including Starter, Relay, and Seats.

What are common problems with a 2021 BMW X4?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (2 of 6), then Seat belts (2) and Powertrain (1).

Is the 2021 BMW X4 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 X4 has 15 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2022 has 4 complaints, 1 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 BMW X4 been recalled?

The 2021 BMW X4 has 7 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 BMW X4?

Owners have filed 6 complaints about the 2021 BMW X4 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 BMW X4 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 BMW X4 is 20 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a BMW X4 use?

F26 models commonly list 0W-20 or 0W-30 by engine; G02 models likewise—capacity varies about 5.3–7.4 qt with filter depending on engine.

What tire sizes does a BMW X4 use?

OEM sizes commonly start at 245/50R18 or 245/50R19 with optional 20–21 inch packages and staggered M fitments.

What timing-chain settlement covers certain early X4 models?

The 2015 X4 SAV with N20 power was included in the Gelis timing-chain / oil-pump drive chain class-action settlement (BMW SI B11 02 21).