Model year guide

2021 BMW X4

Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 2021 BMW X4 is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 262 on record.

2021 BMW X4 — representative photo
Representative photo

2021 BMW X4 at a glance

Safety recalls7
Owner complaints6

Included: that car's specs and build sheet, model-year recall campaigns and a fair price.

2021 BMW X4 recalls 7

Electrical System:starter Assembly NHTSA Campaign #26V056000 · 30/01/2026

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 an…

Fix: 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 o…

Electrical System:starter Assembly:relay NHTSA Campaign #25V636000 · 23/09/2025

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.

Fix: 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 Identificatio…

Seats NHTSA Campaign #23V211000 · 29/03/2023

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.

Fix: 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.

Engine NHTSA Campaign #21V598000 · 02/08/2021

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.

Fix: 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 Assembly NHTSA Campaign #21V199000 · 24/03/2021

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.

Fix: 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…

Back Over Prevention:software NHTSA Campaign #21V096000 · 19/02/2021

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, …

Fix: 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: Camera NHTSA Campaign #20V598000 · 30/09/2020

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 …

Fix: 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.

Source: U.S. NHTSA, checked 4 Nov 2026. A campaign covers the model year; to see whether a particular car still needs the repair, check its VIN on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer.

2021 BMW X4 common problems

The most-reported problem areas across all 6 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.

Seat Belts
Check that every belt latches, retracts and locks under a sharp tug, and that none are frayed.
Engine
Listen for knocks or ticking, check for leaks and blue/white exhaust smoke, and make sure it doesn't overheat. No check-engine light should be on.
Power Train
Drive through every gear: watch for slipping, hard or delayed shifts, and shudder. Check for transmission/driveline leaks and noises.
Suspension
Listen for clunks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for uneven tire wear and worn shocks or struts.

Dimensions & weight

Length
187.4 in
Width
75.6 in
Height
63.8 in
Wheelbase
113.0 in
Curb weight
4,147–4,323 lb
Front track
63.8 in
Rear track
65.7 in

Manufacturer-reported figures for the 2021 BMW X4 — ranges cover the 2 body / drivetrain versions on record. Source: Transport Canada vehicle specifications via NHTSA.

Investigations & service bulletins

Manufacturer service bulletins 168

Technical notes the manufacturer sent to dealers about known issues and fixes. Useful to mention to a mechanic — they are not recalls and repairs may not be covered. Showing the 10 most recent of 168.

The manual starting of electronic engine oil level measurement from inside the vehicle, usually afterperforming an engine oil service task, is inoperative or it may lock up at between a 15% to 30% completionrate.

Bulletin B110426 · Electrical System, Engine · Jul 2026

The EVAP systems purge (vent) valve limited warranty for defects in materials and / or workmanship has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles as determined from the original first in-service / delivery date.

Bulletin B010324 · Engine · Jun 2026

The EVAP systems purge (vent) valve limited warranty for defects in materials or workmanship has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles as determined from the original in-service date.

Bulletin B010324 · Engine · May 2026

The vehicle applies the brakes on its own when reversing onto an inclined roadway or driveway. This appliesonly to the situation where the Active PDC option is activated via the iDrive.

Bulletin B661719 · Service Brakes · Apr 2025

The limited warranty for the Knee Air Bag wire harness repair cable procedure for defects in materials and / or workmanship has been extended to 10 years / 120,000 miles as determined from the original first in-service / delivery date.

Bulletin B650122 · Air Bags · Jan 2025

While driving the vehicle on normal roads at10mph and above, a "cracking" sound from the top of the B-pillar(s) is heard.

Bulletin B410722 · Structure · Apr 2024

One or more of the LED daytime running lights are dim or discolored.

Bulletin B630418 · Exterior Lighting · Mar 2024

During inspection and/or diagnosis there is noticeable dirt/grease buildup on the axles near the inner and/o router CV boots.

Bulletin B310122 · Suspension · Mar 2024

An interference noise (groaning noise) can be heard from within the heating and air-conditioning unit in thecenter of the instrument panel. The groaning noise always occurs when either a ventilation flap, air stratification flap or the recirculated airflap mov…

Bulletin B640422 · Electrical System, Visibility · Feb 2024

The Check Control message below appears even though the coolant level is not below minimum when theengine is cold. Check Control message (ID 166): Top up coolant.

Bulletin B170122 · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jan 2024

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, listed for the X4 AWD. Model-year data, not specific to one car.

Canadian recalls 6

Transport Canada recall campaigns for the 2021 BMW X4. Relevant if the car was first sold in, or imported from, Canada.

Engine

Issue: On certain vehicles, the engine starter may not have been manufactured properly. As a result, the starter could overheat. Note: This recall is an expansion of Transport Canada recall no. 2026-040. Safety Risk: A starter that overheats can create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: To reduce the safety risk, BMW recommends not using the remote start function and not l…

Transport Canada #2026331 · Jul 2026

Engine

Issue: On certain vehicles, the engine starter may not have been manufactured properly. As a result, the starter could overheat. Safety Risk: A starter that overheats can create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: To reduce the safety risk, BMW recommends not using the remote start function and not leaving the vehicle unattended with the engine running until the recall repa…

Transport Canada #2026040 · Jan 2026

Electrical

Issue: On certain vehicles, water could leak into the starter relay and cause it to corrode. If this happens, the relay could short circuit and the starter could overheat. Safety Risk: A short circuit and/or a starter that overheats can create a fire risk, even while the vehicle is parked and turned off. Corrective Actions: To reduce the safety risk, BMW advises that you should…

Transport Canada #2025499 · Sep 2025

Label

Issue: On certain vehicles, the tire and loading information label does not list that there is no spare tire in both official languages. The label reads as "NONE" when it should read as "NONE / AUCUN". Canadian regulations require the information to be listed on the label in both English and French. Safety Risk: This error does not affect vehicle safety. Corrective Actions: Thi…

Transport Canada #2024544 · Aug 2024

Brakes

Issue: On certain vehicles, a software problem could cause the vacuum pump to be damaged during engine starting. If this happens, there could be a loss of brake assist. This can cause an increase in brake pedal effort and increase the distance needed to stop the vehicle. Safety Risk: A sudden increase in brake pedal force could lead to an increased stopping distance. This could…

Transport Canada #2021479 · Aug 2021

Visual System

Issue: On certain vehicles, a software problem could cause the rearview camera image not to appear correctly in the central display. Canadian regulations require the rearview image to display when the transmission is shifted into reverse gear. Safety Risk: A rearview camera image that does not display correctly could reduce a driver's ability to see behind the vehicle while bac…

Transport Canada #2021078 · Feb 2021

Source: Transport Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Recalls Database.

About the BMW X4

The BMW X4 is a compact luxury crossover SUV manufactured by BMW from 2014 to 2025. It is marketed as a sports activity coupé (SAC), the second model from BMW marketed as such after the X6, and features styling elements and the roofline of a traditional two-door coupé. The X4 is widely considered as a "coupé" version of the X3, trading its practicality with a sloping rear roof which offers a sportier styling. BMW has indicated 2025 will be the X4's final model year.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Describes the model line in general, not this model year specifically.

2021 BMW X4 vehicles on record

Other BMW X4 model years

2021 BMW X4 — frequently asked questions

Does the 2021 BMW X4 have any safety recalls?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2021 BMW X4. Whether an individual car still needs a recall repair depends on its VIN — check it on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer. Recall repairs are done at no charge.

What are the most common problems with the 2021 BMW X4?

Across all 6 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas are seat belts, engine, power train.

Sources: NHTSA (recalls, complaints, crash tests), U.S. EPA (fuel economy). Vehicle data only — CarLogs never shows owner information.