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2021 BMW X4

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
4 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
35 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls4 critical8
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA6
Crash ratingNHTSA overall—
Fuel economybest combined, EPA25 mpg
2025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2021 BMW X4 is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the X4 xDrive30i, is EPA-rated at 25 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for this model year, 4 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 6 complaints, most often about the seat belts.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
X4 xDrive30iGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo232925$3,100
X4 M40iGasAWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo212723$3,350
X4 MGasAWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo141916$4,850
X4 M CompetitionGasAWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo141916$4,850

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 42901, 42902, 42599, 42600.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2021 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 (8)

Source: NHTSA recall database
!critical

Electrical System

318,495 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Toyota Supra, 2022-2025 2 Series Coupe, 2021-2023 5 Series, 2022-2026 Z4, 2023-2024 4 Series Gran Coupe, 4 Series Convertible, 4 Series Coupe, 3 Series, 2021-2025 X4, and 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.RiskFire increases the risk of injury.FixDealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 31, 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 August 28, 2026. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall 26V056.
NHTSA campaign 26V438000reported Jul 8, 2026BMW of North America, LLC
!critical

Electrical System

87,394 vehicles
ProblemBMW 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.RiskFire increases the risk of injury.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 26V056000reported Jan 30, 2026BMW of North America, LLC
!critical

Electrical System

Park outside199,674 vehicles
ProblemBMW 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.RiskA short circuit in the starter relay may increase the risk of a fire.FixOwners 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.
NHTSA campaign 25V636000reported Sep 23, 2025BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Seats

51 vehicles
ProblemBMW 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.RiskAn improperly welded seat frame may not properly restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 23V211000reported Mar 29, 2023BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Engine

50,024 vehicles
ProblemBMW 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.RiskLoss of braking assist can increase the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 21V598000reported Aug 2, 2021BMW of North America, LLC
!critical

Fuel System, Gasoline

17 vehicles
ProblemBMW 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.RiskFuel may leak through the failed weld, increasing the risk of a fire.FixBMW 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.
NHTSA campaign 21V199000reported Mar 24, 2021BMW of North America, LLC
○minor

Back Over Prevention

13,858 vehicles
ProblemBMW 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 43RiskIf the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the missing or reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.FixBMW 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.
NHTSA campaign 21V096000reported Feb 19, 2021BMW of North America, LLC
○minor

Back Over Prevention

312 vehicles
ProblemBMW 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."RiskIf the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.FixBMW 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.
NHTSA campaign 20V598000reported Sep 30, 2020BMW of North America, LLC

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
6complaints filed

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

Filed per year: 2023: 1 · 2026: 5

Most-cited components

Seat Belts2
Engine2
Suspension1
Unspecified1
Power Train1

What owners describe

“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 this by service technicians at BMW and confirmed it through my own research. The oil pump failure is…”Apr 7, 2026 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“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 stated that when the vehicle was shifted into drive(D) and the brake pedal was depressed, there was …”Feb 11, 2026 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“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 that they have never seen anything like that before. After discovering that both belts were broken i…”Feb 3, 2026 · Seat Belts · 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

2020 BMW X4

10 recalls · 15 complaints

F

2019 BMW X4

7 recalls · 10 complaints

B

2018 BMW X4

1 recalls · 11 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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