2021 BMW X4

Routine

Owners filed 6 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the seat belts. It has been recalled 7 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Seat Belts2
000
Engine2
000
Unknown or Other1
000
Suspension1
000

7 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Electrical System › Starter Assembly26V056000
Filed Jan 30, 202687,394 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc

Defect. 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.

Risk. Fire increases the risk of injury.

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.

Electrical System › Starter Assembly › Relay25V636000Park outside
Filed Sep 23, 2025199,674 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc

Defect. 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.

Risk. A short circuit in the starter relay may increase the risk of a fire.

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.

Seats23V211000
Filed Mar 29, 202351 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc

Defect. 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.

Risk. An improperly welded seat frame may not properly restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

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.

Engine21V598000
Filed Aug 2, 202150,024 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc

Defect. 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.

Risk. Loss of braking assist can increase the risk of a crash.

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.

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly21V199000
Filed Mar 24, 202117 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc

Defect. 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.

Risk. Fuel may leak through the failed weld, increasing the risk of a fire.

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.

Back Over Prevention › Software21V096000
Filed Feb 19, 202113,858 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc

Defect. 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."

Risk. If 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.

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.

Back Over Prevention › Sensing System › Camera20V598000
Filed Sep 30, 2020312 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc

Defect. 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."

Risk. If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

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.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Engine
Filed Apr 7, 2026TX

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 due to a plastic adjusting ring breaking. The result is severe oil pressure loss and engine failure. This is uncommon for a vehicle that has 65k miles. The engine failure comes without warning; there are no check engine light warnings. The vehicle's engine just fails I discovered the oil pump failure when I found it unusual that I had to add oil twice over a 6-month period. I took it to the dealer, where they informed me of the issue. This is extremely dangerous, especially when an engine locks up at high speeds on a highway.

Engine
Filed Feb 11, 202670,000 milesCA

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 an abnormal sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on several occasions, but the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic and was currently being diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

Seat Belts
Filed Feb 3, 2026CA

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 in the same spot, they concluded it must be caused by wear in the retracting mechanism, but because the car was out of manufacturer's warranty they could only sell me new ones. I believe this is a very serious safety issue because as they were starting to fray apart the belts may have not had enough strength to restrain someone during an accident. Glad this was discovered before that happened!

Seat Belts
Filed Jan 26, 2026CA

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 been a bad situation if in an accident had occurred where they had not completely frayed but would have failed. Took it to my local dealer and they had no answers as to how this could have happened but suggesting that it most likely happened inside the recoil mechanism. They offered no other remedy other than to have me pay for replacement since the car was out of manufactory warranty,

Unknown or Other
Filed Jan 9, 2026OH

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 under 50,000 miles. The issue appears consistent with known xDrive transfer case complaints. The warning light came on on January 7, 2026, at approximately 6 pm.

Suspension
Filed Feb 16, 2023TX

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - Suspension How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - Its giving head ache and body pain, driver & passengers are jumping / shaking / feeling very uncomfortable Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? - Dealer mentioned all good, it designed this way Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? - yes by BMW Service center Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? - No The car's performance and handling is good, but the biggest concern is with suspension. Bad experience in the driver's seat and more bad in the passenger seat. I understand if the suspension is not performing in sport mode, but even in comfort mode the suspension is not even working 10%. Really frustrated and getting depressed. Why is it mentioned as comfort mode and not doing the intended job ? Why is the car being advertised and sold as it has Adaptive suspension ? really the car has suspension ? The car is wobbling / shaking and very rough even for very small bumps / uneven surfaces (the car is just falling into it). It gives a headache when driving on a speed breaker even at 5 MPH. I really feel like the car has no suspension. Mentioning and selling with comfort mode where it is not doing the intende

6 of 6 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2015
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20260100Routine
20252100Routine
20243100Routine
20237210Routine
20224500Routine
2021 — this page6700Routine
2020151000Do not drive
201910710Routine
201811110Routine
20173200Routine
201610200Routine
201518510Routine
20140100Routine

Compare every X4 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Jan 30, 2026. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.