BMW X4 · model year

2018 BMW X4

19 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2018BMWX4 carries 19 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 3 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2018 X4 is electrical system with 7 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling (5) and engine (3). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 2018 X4. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

19
Complaints
2
Crashes
3
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

19 filings

Crashes Reported

2 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: Not Rated/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM7
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING5
ENGINE3
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
POWER TRAIN1
SERVICE BRAKES1

Recalls (1)

24V60800013/08/2024

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:PUMP

BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2012-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 2012-2016 Z4 sDrive28i, 528i, 528i xDrive, 328i, 328xi, 2016-2018 X5 xdrive 40e, 2014-2016 228i, 228xi, 428i, 428i xDrive, 328xi Gran Turismo, 2013-2017 X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, 2015-2018 X4 xDrive28i, 201

Recent Complaints

20251222FireENGINE

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. Upon trying to start the car it was dead. We had to have it professionally jumped as standard jumping with our personal jumper cables would not start it. Our mechanic explained both the battery and the water pump would need to be replaced. Upon further examination, he realized that the cable or water pump harness that connects the two had been burned and discovered a recall on thousands of 2017/2018 X4 models. He called us and encouraged us to take it to BMW as he found the recall and assumed they would take care of it. Upon calling our local dealership, they looked up our VIN and said our model was not part of the recall. We proceeded with the repair as we had to have our

20251222FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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. Upon trying to start the car it was dead. We had to have it professionally jumped as standard jumping with our personal jumper cables would not start it. Our mechanic explained both the battery and the water pump would need to be replaced. Upon further examination, he realized that the cable or water pump harness that connects the two had been burned and discovered a recall on thousands of 2017/2018 X4 models. He called us and encouraged us to take it to BMW as he found the recall and assumed they would take care of it. Upon calling our local dealership, they looked up our VIN and said our model was not part of the recall. We proceeded with the repair as we had to have our

20251222FireUNKNOWN OR OTHER

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. Upon trying to start the car it was dead. We had to have it professionally jumped as standard jumping with our personal jumper cables would not start it. Our mechanic explained both the battery and the water pump would need to be replaced. Upon further examination, he realized that the cable or water pump harness that connects the two had been burned and discovered a recall on thousands of 2017/2018 X4 models. He called us and encouraged us to take it to BMW as he found the recall and assumed they would take care of it. Upon calling our local dealership, they looked up our VIN and said our model was not part of the recall. We proceeded with the repair as we had to have our

20250823ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The water pump was found to have extreme corrosion after several other components on the car were damaged from the coolant leak into the electrical system. The car was suddenly losing power while driving and the DME was smoking, potentially causing an engine fire. So far the water pump, Digital Motor Electronics (DME) and throttle body were replaced over a 15 day period in service. The day the car was picked up, the chassis stabilization light came on and the dealership was receiving codes saying multiple additional electrical systems are now triggering the codes. The car was back at the dealer for service and now they are saying even more systems have been damaged by the leak. There is currently a recall on the water pump for this model and year, although this exact VIN is not included in the recall. Initial overheat warnings came on July 22, 2025 just prior to the car going in the shop although the dealer didn't see that the car was overheating. The fault codes were coming up as elec

20250823ENGINE

The water pump was found to have extreme corrosion after several other components on the car were damaged from the coolant leak into the electrical system. The car was suddenly losing power while driving and the DME was smoking, potentially causing an engine fire. So far the water pump, Digital Motor Electronics (DME) and throttle body were replaced over a 15 day period in service. The day the car was picked up, the chassis stabilization light came on and the dealership was receiving codes saying multiple additional electrical systems are now triggering the codes. The car was back at the dealer for service and now they are saying even more systems have been damaged by the leak. There is currently a recall on the water pump for this model and year, although this exact VIN is not included in the recall. Initial overheat warnings came on July 22, 2025 just prior to the car going in the shop although the dealer didn't see that the car was overheating. The fault codes were coming up as elec

20250718ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

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 dealer was contacted on several occasions; however, the contact was informed that parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

20250718ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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 dealer was contacted on several occasions; however, the contact was informed that parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

20250617CrashSERVICE BRAKES

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.

20250601UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Water pump completely failed and no longer working. I had to pull off of road on a busy interstate. Firestone confirmed water pump no longer working. Vehicle is at BMW service center. No warning until vehicle overheated and warning came on.

20250425ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

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 unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle there was a burning odor coming from the engine compartment. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Mileage: 75,000

20250425ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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 unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle there was a burning odor coming from the engine compartment. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Mileage: 75,000

20250305ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

20250305ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

20241122ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

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 dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

20241122ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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 dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

20241122ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

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 amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle occasionally failed to move. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

20241122ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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 amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle occasionally failed to move. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

20230726CrashPOWER TRAIN

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 was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been the cause of a recent crash at a traffic signal. The contact's vehicle had slipped into park (P) when the signal light changed to green her vehicle did not move forward and the vehicle behind her crashed into the rear bumper. The contact stated that there was minor damage to the other vehicle's front bumper and no damage to her vehicle, both vehicle's were able to drive away. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer after the first failures, where it was diagnosed and determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle had been repaired. The contact stated that she drove the vehicle back t

Mileage: 100,000

20221003ENGINE

I got 2018 bmw x4 and 7year/80000km warranty from the bmw store in vancouver on jun 25,2019.I used to drive to seattle to shopping and eating. I and my husband drived this car from vancouver to edmonton on jun 1,2022. On jun 4,the engine sign and change oil sign all light up . on jun 6 we drived to the bmw edmonton to maintanance.on jun 7 they told me this car eccentric shaft faulty,the car mechanic show us the eccentric shaft already broken ,if i direct drived back to vancouver the engine maybe suddenly shut down or slower down on the highwat.and I must repair car in edmonton and pay total repair fee later back to vancouver to claim the warranty ,i called the bmw store vancouver rep he said ok.that time this car is 64500 km. when I back to the bmw store vancouver to claim this case.they answer me this case is my fault ,i was not done the maintenance for a while, so on july 20 2022 i sued thr bmw store. A trail will be held on oct 12,2022. today i do this complaint i just want to kno

Compare 2018BMWX4 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2018 BMW X4 have?
The 2018 BMW X4 has 19 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 3 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2018 BMW X4?
The 2018 BMW X4 received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of Not Rated/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2018 BMW X4?
Yes, the 2018 BMW X4 has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:PUMP. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 BMW X4?
The most-complained component for the 2018 BMW X4 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 7 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING and ENGINE.
Is the 2018 BMW X4 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2018 BMW X4 has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.