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2016 BMW X6

Gas
Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
A
Safety Signal
92 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns1
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA9
Crash ratingNHTSA overall—
Fuel economybest combined, EPA21 mpg
202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2016 BMW X6 is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize or large SUV with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the X6 sDrive35i, is EPA-rated at 21 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 9 complaints, most often about the power train.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
X6 sDrive35iGasRWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo182521$3,700
X6 xDrive35iGasAWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo182420$3,900
X6 xDrive50iGasAWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo152117$4,550

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36771, 36775, 36776.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2016 BMW X6 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
▲high

Child Seat

32,760 vehicles
ProblemBMW 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.RiskDamaged lower anchor bars may increase the child's risk of injury in the event of a crash.FixBMW 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.
NHTSA campaign 19V823000reported Nov 18, 2019BMW 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
9complaints filed

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

Filed per year: 2017: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 3

Most-cited components

Power Train3
Electrical System2
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)1
Wheels1
Unspecified1
Suspension1

What owners describe

“The contact owns a 2016 BMW X6. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the steering wheel failed to function as intended. The vehicle was parked inside the garage, and the contact was unable to turn to the right or the left. The message "Power Steering Lock" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contac…”Oct 29, 2025 · Steering · NHTSA owner report
“I am reaching out regarding a serious issue with my 2016 BMW X6 M, which suffered a driveshaft failure. I understand that certain BMW models were recalled for similar issues, but my vehicle was not included. Given the severity of the damage and the number of similar complaints online, I believe this issue warrants furt…”Apr 30, 2025 · Power Train · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2016 BMW X6. The contact stated that the vehicle was running rough, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact used a vehicle scanner and retrieved diagnostic trouble codes indicating a misfire in cylinder number #5, and the water pump had failed due to a ground short circuit failur…”Jan 22, 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 X6 model years

A

2027 BMW X6

0 recalls · 1 complaints

C

2026 BMW X6

2 recalls · 3 complaints

D

2025 BMW X6

4 recalls · 1 complaints

D

2024 BMW X6

5 recalls · 9 complaints

A

2023 BMW X6

1 recalls · 1 complaints

A

2022 BMW X6

1 recalls · 5 complaints

F

2021 BMW X6

7 recalls · 7 complaints

F

2020 BMW X6

11 recalls · 9 complaints

C

2019 BMW X6

4 recalls · 5 complaints

D

2018 BMW X6

4 recalls · 4 complaints

B

2017 BMW X6

2 recalls · 3 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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