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2018 BMW X4

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
B
Safety Signal
85 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls1 critical1
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA11
Crash ratingNHTSA overall—
Fuel economybest combined, EPA23 mpg
2025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2018 BMW X4 is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the X4 xDrive28i, is EPA-rated at 23 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 11 complaints, most often about the electrical system.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
X4 xDrive28iGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo202823$3,350
X4 M40iGasAWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo182521$3,700

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 38637, 38638.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 BMW X4 is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database
!critical

Engine And Engine Cooling

720,796 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2012-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 2012-2016 Z4 sDrive28i, 528i, 528i xDrive, 328i, 328xi, 2016-2018 X5 xdrive 40e, 2014-2016 228i, 228xi, 428i, 428i xDrive, 328xi Gran Turismo, 2013-2017 X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, 2015-2018 X4 xDrive28i, 2015-2016 428xi vehicles. An improperly sealed electrical connector on the water pump may be exposed to water and short circuit.RiskAn electrical short increases the risk of a fire.FixDealers will inspect and replace the water pump and plug connector as necessary, and install a protective shield, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2025. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 24V608000reported Aug 13, 2024BMW of North America, LLC

NHTSA defect investigations

Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module — Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture open

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa

Opened Sep 17, 2021 · action EA21002

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
11complaints filed

2 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2022: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 7

Most-cited components

Electrical System7
Engine And Engine Cooling5
Engine3
Unspecified2
Power Train1
Service Brakes1

What owners describe

“We heard a whining sound under the hood on November 1st, 2025. Prior to noticing this noise, there were no warming lamps or messages appearing. Following a short drive we smelled burning in the garage. We did not drive the vehicle the following day and intended to take it to our mechanic on Monday morning, the 3rd. Upo…”Dec 22, 2025 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“The water pump was found to have extreme corrosion after several other components on the car were damaged from the coolant leak into the electrical system. The car was suddenly losing power while driving and the DME was smoking, potentially causing an engine fire. So far the water pump, Digital Motor Electronics (DME) …”Aug 23, 2025 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2018 BMW X4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted on several occasions; however, the contact was informed that parts were not avai…”Jul 18, 2025 · Engine And Engine Cooling · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Other X4 model years

C

2025 BMW X4

2 recalls · 2 complaints

C

2024 BMW X4

2 recalls · 3 complaints

D

2023 BMW X4

3 recalls · 7 complaints

F

2022 BMW X4

6 recalls · 3 complaints

F

2021 BMW X4

8 recalls · 6 complaints

F

2020 BMW X4

10 recalls · 15 complaints

F

2019 BMW X4

7 recalls · 10 complaints

C

2017 BMW X4

2 recalls · 3 complaints

C

2016 BMW X4

2 recalls · 10 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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