2018 BMW X6 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2018 BMW X6 holds 4 complaints after 9 years, a rate of 1 per year. That is more complaints per year than most X6 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Child seat, Lug nuts, and Front lower control arm.

2012 BMW X6 — Photo by Alexander-93, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (1 of 4), then Service brakes (1) and Steering (1). Those filings include 1 that reports a fire.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 X6 has 3 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2019 has 5 complaints, 0 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

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 2018 BMW X6. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (4)

Recall child seat 2019-11-18 · NHTSA campaign 19V823000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2015-2019 X6 sDrive35i, X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i, and X6M vehicles equipped with rear seat lower anchor bars used in securing child restraint seats. The lower anchor bars may become damaged over time when used with an ISOFIX-type, rigid-style connector, child restraint system.

Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will weld a reinforcing bracket to the lower anchor bars and the vehicle body, free of charge. Owner notification began January 17, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Recall wheels, lug nuts 2018-09-12 · NHTSA campaign 18V614000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2019 BMW X6 sDrive35i, X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i, and X6M vehicles. The wheel bolts on these vehicles may not have been properly tightened.

Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace and tighten all of the wheel bolts, free of charge. The recall began November 1, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Recall Front lower control arm 2018-06-28 · NHTSA campaign 18V439000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 xDrive35d, and X6 sDrive35i vehicles. The pivot bolt on the front lower-left control arm may not have been properly hardened, which may cause the control arm to break.

Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lower-left control arms and replace if necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 11, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Recall Suspension 2017-11-17 · NHTSA campaign 17V727000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW X5 SAV, X5 M SAV, X6 SAV, and X6 M SAV vehicles. Bolts that secure the front suspension may not have been properly tightened.

Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the wishbone suspension bolts, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 8, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Complaints by component (4 total)

Powertrain

Service brakes

Steering

Suspension

Tires

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"During operation in DRIVE, the vehicle would shift to PARK, without the control lever being operated. This occurred intermittently, but with greater frequency over time. The safety concern is that it occurred while in…"
Powertrain · filed 2022-01-13
"The contact owns a 2018 BMW X6 equipped with Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season tires, Tire Size: 255/50/R19, DOT number: UN64P9784417. While his wife was driving 70 MPH, the passenger’s side rear tire delaminated two…"
Tires · filed 2021-07-28
"WE RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER. THERE WAS APPARENTLY NO FIX AVAILABLE YET, RENDERING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO TRANSPORT A CHILD. I WAS ADVISED BY A BMW DEALERSHIP THEY COULD GET THE PARTS. HAVE BEEN WAITING ALMOST A WEEK WITH…"
Unknown or other · filed 2020-02-27
"MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH THE FRONT SYSTEM AND CAUSES INSTABILITY, ISSUES WITH THE SUSPENSION AND THE EARLY WARNING SYSTEM. NEVER WAS FIXED PROPERLY FROM BMW TENAFLY"
Steering, Suspension, Service brakes · filed 2019-11-24

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2018 BMW X6 M SUV AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2018 BMW X6 SUV AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2018 BMW X6 SUV RWD	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
X6 M	4.4L, 8-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	14	19	16 MPG	$5000
X6 sDrive35i	3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	18	25	21 MPG	$3800
X6 xDrive35i	3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	18	24	20 MPG	$4000
X6 xDrive50i	4.4L, 8-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	15	21	17 MPG	$4700

Specs and fitment

F16 generation, 2015–2019

Body styles Coupe SUV

Oil 0W-30 (BMW LL common fills; ~6.9 qt with filter on typical gasoline) , 6.9 qt capacity

Tire size 255/55R18, 255/50R19, 275/40R20 or 285/35R21; staggered M packages front / 255/55R18–285/35R21 or staggered M packages rear

Known issues for this generation

Recall 19V823000 covers certain 2015-2019 X6 sDrive35i, xDrive35i, xDrive50i, and X6M vehicles (~32,760 units) whose rear-seat lower LATCH anchor bars can be damaged by ISOFIX rigid-style child restraints; dealers weld a reinforcing bracket to the anchors and body. The campaign applies to this X6 generation only among the named trims.

Compare

Previous year 2017 BMW X6 Next year 2019 BMW X6 See every BMW X6 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 BMW X6 reliable?

What are common problems with a 2018 BMW X6?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (1 of 4), then Service brakes (1) and Steering (1). Those filings include 1 that reports a fire.

Is the 2018 BMW X6 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 X6 has 3 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2019 has 5 complaints, 0 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 BMW X6 been recalled?

The 2018 BMW X6 has 4 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 2018 BMW X6?

Owners have filed 4 complaints about the 2018 BMW X6 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 BMW X6 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 BMW X6 is 18.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a BMW X6 use?

E71/F16 gasoline fills commonly list 0W-30 (~6.9 qt); G06 models commonly list 0W-20 or 0W-30 depending on engine, with higher capacity on some V8s.

What tire sizes does a BMW X6 use?

OEM packages commonly run from 255/50R19 or 255/55R18 through 21–22 inch staggered fitments with 315-series rears on higher packages.

What LATCH-anchor recall covers certain F16 X6 models?

Recall 19V823000 covers certain 2015-2019 X6 models whose rear-seat lower LATCH anchor bars can be damaged by ISOFIX rigid connectors.