Owners have filed 65 complaints on the BMW X4, covering 2016–2024. The system named most often is Electrical System (12 reports). Worst years by volume: 2020, 2018, 2019; cleanest: 2024, 2017, 2022. 7 reports describe a crash, 3 a fire. On average the car was 4.3 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on BMW X4
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 65 X4 complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Electrical System 12 Read
Electrical system ignighted and caught fire while car was off, locked and parked inside the garage
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.…
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2023 BMW X4. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 52,000 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that…
Engine And Engine Cooling 9 Read
The contact owns a 2023 BMW X4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V438000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while idling at a stoplight, the vehicle caught on fire. The driver was able to exit the vehicle safely. There were no reported injuries. A Police and Fire…
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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.…
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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable…
Power Train 7 Read
We had snow this afternoon and my wife drove the car home from work. We live on a private road and have a steep driveway. I had her park the car in the road while I plowed the driveway. There was only 1-2” of snow on the ground. My wife existed the car. It appeared to be off and in park meaning the engine was not…
The contact owns a 2018 BMW X4. The contact stated that when she would stop the vehicle for a traffic signal, the vehicle would independently shift into park (P). The contact stated that the failure had started as an intermittent failure but had gradually become a recurring failure. The contact stated no warning light…
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…
Service Brakes 7 Read
Unknown: Dealership replaced my brakes however they weren’t working properly I reported it 3 times BMW said it was common about 2 weeks later I was involved in a car accident where the brakes failed to respond and I rear ended another car
Purchased a customized bmw x4 nov.2022 from bmw dealership. Dec. 2022 brakes have a loud screaming noise when reverse. Spoke with dealership multiple times and vehicle was seen approx. 6 times by service dept about the brakes. Corporate complaint filed about loud noise of brakes, corporate sent out an engineer out to…
On several occasions, the brake pedal has gone soft. Giving you the feeling that you have no breaks. On the highway when this happens, the brake pedal goes soft and then about halfway into the pedal the brakes lock up and the car veerers sharply in one direction or another. On residential street my wife was using this…
Engine 5 Read
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…
The Oil filter housing on my BMW X4 failed randomly while parked over night causing my vehicle to be depleted off coolant. If you want to inspect the part you will have to reach out to bmw of Columbus for documentation and I can provide the record for repair once complete.This caused my vehicle to be immobilized. If…
On may 03, 2019, I bought a 2019 bmw x4 m40i, at braman motorcars. This is not my first bmw, we have 3 more bmws at home. Unfortunately, this bmw x4 vehicle has not performed well as expected! On may 27, 2020 I was driving while it was raining when the car suddenly stopped and never turned on again, it was completely…
Suspension 5 Read
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…
My bmw x4M competition 2020 has pop off a sign that said chassis possible continue driving . It put me in sport suspension and it off traction mode . It is very dangerous for me to drive because in a snow or rainy day it very slippery and sometime I almost cash because slip indicators turn on . I cannot turn it off to…
I am filing a complaint regarding what I believe is a manufacturer defect in my BMW vehicle. During a recent visit to an authorized BMW dealership for a routine oil change, I was informed that the front tension joints (tension struts) must be replaced because the rubber bushings/gaskets are cracked and leaking fluid.…
Air Bags 4 Read
A week ago, the steering wheel locked and the braking system and airbags and cameras malfunctioned. We took it for service at BMW. They said the battery caused the malfunction. On thanksgiving day, we were going around 25-30miles per hour when we slammed on the breaks and the breaks didnot function and we could not…
On june 21, 2020, on a city street. My white bmw was traveling westward and a black bmw was traveling southbound. The black bmw ran its red light to my green light. When we collided in the intersection the complete front end of my white bmw impacted the black bmw driver's side, from approximately from the front tire,…
Vehicle was involved in a collision with right/ passenger front and side of vehicle. Whole bumper knocked off. Left front tire broke off during collision. Passenger side curtain air bag deployed. Stirring air bag did not deploy nor did the curtain airbag on driver side. Passenger injured with broken nose and face…
Structure 2 Read
Dear National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, I am writing to report a significant safety concern involving my 2022 BMW X4 M40i. The issue pertains to an anti-corroding substance inside the tailgate panel that has been leaking, causing damage to my vehicle's bumper and obstructing the view on my rear camera.…
-Electrical damage due to leak. Water entered through the roof shark fin antenna, leading to corrosion /severe water damage to the Telematics Communication Box Module. -Failure of BMW Emergency SOS Call System, GPS, and Microphone/ Voice for hands-free access. -Warning notification on dashboard "Emergency SOS…
X4 years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Power Train,unknown Or Other | 1 | — | |
| 2023 | Air Bags,service Brakes,forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 1 | |
| 2022 | Service Brakes | — | — | |
| 2021 | Engine | — | — | |
| 2020 | Air Bags,seat Belts | 1 | — | |
| 2019 | Electrical System | — | 1 | |
| 2018 | Electrical System,engine | 2 | 1 | |
| 2017 | Electrical System,service Brakes | — | — | |
| 2016 | Air Bags | 1 | — |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 57 |
| Average complaints per series | 1.1 |
| Worst single series | 4 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 4.3 years |
A model average of 1.1 hides a worst series at 4. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the X4?
By complaint volume, 2020, 2018, 2019 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which X4 years are the cleanest?
2024, 2017, 2022 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the BMW X4 have?
65 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2016–2024. Of those, 7 describe a crash and 3 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.