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2021 BMW X6

HybridGas
Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
5 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
44 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls1 critical7
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA7
Crash ratingNHTSA overall—
Fuel economybest combined, EPA23 mpg
202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2021 BMW X6 is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas midsize or large SUV with 5 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the X6 sDrive40i, is EPA-rated at 23 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 7 complaints, most often about the forward collision avoidance.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
X6 sDrive40iHybridRWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo + 44V Li-Ion212623$3,350
X6 xDrive40iHybridAWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo + 44V Li-Ion212523$3,350
X6 M50iGasAWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo162218$4,300
X6 MGasAWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo131815$5,150
X6 M CompetitionGasAWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo131815$5,150

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 42861, 42866, 42867, 42868, 42869.

Factory warranty running out?

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Recalls (7)

Source: NHTSA recall database
●moderate

Visibility

61,221 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2022 4 Series Gran Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive); 2019-2022 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M50i, X5M; 2021-2022 X5 xdrive45e; 2020-2022 X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xDrive50i, X6M and 2019-2023 X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, X7 xDrive60i, X7 M60i, X7M, Alpina XB7 vehicles. The roof function control unit may be programmed incorrectly, allowing the sunroof to close without the key fob present inside the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."RiskA sunroof that closes without the key fob present inside the vehicle can increase the risk of injury.FixDealers will reprogram the roof function control unit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 22V267000reported Apr 20, 2022BMW of North America, LLC
○minor

Back Over Prevention

13,858 vehicles
ProblemBMW 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 43RiskIf 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.FixBMW 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.
NHTSA campaign 21V096000reported Feb 19, 2021BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

893 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 8 Series Coupe, Grand Coupe and convertible 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8 and 740 Li, 740 Li xDrive, 750 Li xDrive, M760 Li xDrive, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xdrive50i, X6 M50i, X6M, and 2019-2021 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M50i, X5M, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, and 2021 M3, M3 Competition, M4 Coupe, M4 Competition Coupe, X5 xDrive45e, 745 Le xDrive. The rotor and shaft within the integrated brake system may not have been welded properly and could separate during a hard braking event, possibly resulting in a loss of the Antilock Brake System (ABS) and braking assistance.RiskA loss of ABS and a reduction in braking assistance can increase the risk of a crash.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the integrated brake system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 25, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 21V062000reported Feb 10, 2021BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Steering

21 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5M, X5 xDrive45e, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 M50i vehicles. The steering column shaft's universal joint connection may not have been tightened to specifications, and can become loose.RiskA loose steering column shaft universal joint connection can affect vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, depending upon the inspection, either the bolt will be replaced and tightened to specifications, or the steering column shaft, universal joint, and bolt will be replaced and tightened to specifications, free of charge. The recall began March 30, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 21V031000reported Jan 29, 2021BMW of North America, LLC
!critical

Electrical System

812 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 M340i xDrive, M440i xDrive Coupe, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 840i Gran Coupe, 840i xDrive Gran Coupe, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, and X7 xDrive40i vehicles. The connection between the 48-Volt battery and the starter-generator may not have been assembled properly, which can cause increased electrical resistance at the connections.RiskIncreased electrical resistance can increase the risk of a fire.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the connection between the 48-Volt battery and the starter-generator assembly, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 12, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 20V761000reported Dec 9, 2020BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Exterior Lighting

307 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 X5 sDrive40i, xDrive40i, xDrive50i, X5 M50i, X5M, X6 sDrive40i, xDrive40i, X6 M50i, X6M, X7 M50i and 2021 X5 xDrive45e vehicles. The headlamps may allow a blue light to illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."RiskOncoming drivers may be confused by the blue light of approaching vehicles, which could potentially increase the risk of a crash.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the headlamps and, if necessary, replace them, free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 20V528000reported Sep 1, 2020BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Tires

42 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 X6 (sDrive40i, xDrive40i and M50i) and X5 (sDrive40i, xDrive40i and M50i) vehicles equipped with certain Pirelli tires. The tires may have a damaged inner layer, possibly resulting in a rapid loss of pressure while the vehicle is moving.RiskA rapid loss of tire pressure while the vehicle is moving can affect vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash.FixBMW has notified all of the affected owners, and dealers will replace the defective tires, free of charge. BMW has contacted owners by telephone and those owners have had their cars remedied. Owner notification letters will not be sent. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 20V483000reported Aug 14, 2020BMW of North America, LLC

NHTSA defect investigations

Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
7complaints filed

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

Filed per year: 2020: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2026: 1

Most-cited components

Forward Collision Avoidance2
Lane Departure2
Electrical System2
Unspecified1
Back Over Prevention1
Service Brakes1

What owners describe

“The contact owns a 2021 BMW X6. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact shifted into park while the vehicle was in motion to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the…”Jan 26, 2026 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report
“Wiring from knee air bag to module failed. Had to repair wiring from front driver and passenger knee air bags. Wiring had a short to ground. Resulted in a $1600 bill.”Nov 25, 2025 · Air Bags · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2021 BMW X6. The contact stated that upon start the vehicle, the drivetrain message was displayed. Overtime, the contact stated that the vehicle either failed to start or was slow to start while depressing the START/STOP button. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the starter was replaced; however,…”Nov 12, 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

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

A

2016 BMW X6

1 recalls · 9 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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