AI Damage2019 BMW X6: common problems
Owners of the 2019 BMW X6 filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine and cooling. The maker issued 65 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 5
- involving a crash
- 1
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 65
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 20% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 20% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 20% of all complaints
- 4 Parking brake 20% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 20% of all complaints
- Air bags: 1 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 6.
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (20% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 5.
- Engine: 1 complaints (20% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 4.
- Parking brake: 1 complaints (20% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3 L · petrol · turbo · 6 cyl
- 4.4 L · petrol · turbo · 8 cyl
- automatic, 8-speed
Drive: AWD, RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 5 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Structure | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Visibility | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Communication | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Lane departure | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Steering | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Wheels | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Backover prevention | 0 | 0 | 2 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
I was in an accident on the interstate 195 in New Bedford, MA. My car was pushed into the guardrail on the driver's side. The air bag in the the side of my seat deployed and ruptured releasing hot gases and burned me through my clothes. I received 1st and 2nd degree burns and was treated at a local hospital.
After only driving less than 2 miles the vehicle was parked at my home, it suddenly burst into flames from the engine an hour later. Gratefully, no one was in the vehicle during the incident. We are a family of 5 so that would have been a disgrace.
While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the parking brake independently engaged. The contact's wife drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that the parking brake malfunction warning light was illuminated.
The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking oil. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed the catalectic converter was missing and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,688 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (among the 20% least complained about).
On average one model year of the X6 has 5 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 5, about average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Parking brake. Electric parking brake, codes, calipers.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- BMW Notice of the Court’s Final Approval for Shark-Fin Antenna Settlement (X3, X4, X5, X6, X7)
- Rear Roof Antenna Shark Fin Cover Sealing Issue
- SHARK FIN ROOF ANTENNA SEALING SETTLEMENT Extended Warranty
- N63TU1 CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT SVC CAMPAIGN
OIL CONSUMPTION DIAGNOSIS/REPAIR
- The limited warranty for the Knee Air Bag wire harness repair cable procedure for defects in materials…
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 /…
- For this vehicle, the engine coolant thermostat limited warranty for defects in materials or workmanship…
For this vehicle, the engine coolant thermostat 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.
- The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met
- The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few…
The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important…
- This bulletin outlines known areas of possible water entry, operational noise, or wind noise for the…
This bulletin outlines known areas of possible water entry, operational noise, or wind noise for the vehicles listed above. It serves only as a diagnostic resource in troubleshooting complaints from the roof area. This…
- At low outside temperatures (below 40 degrees F) and slow driving speeds (i.e
when parking, maneuvering)with a large steering angle, the front end can be slightly axially misaligned. This can be felt (jerking)/ heard via an acoustic acknowledgement (clunk) as seen at the 11 second mark of the…
- When using the Key Reader to retrieve CBS information from the customer key, no current vehicle data is…
When using the Key Reader to retrieve CBS information from the customer key, no current vehicle data is available, or the data does not match the maintenance schedule.
- Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle
Depending on the vehicleâÂÂs equipment and settings, no acoustic or optical confirmation (folding the mirrors/blinking confirmation) is noticeable. Additionally, the red anti-theft alarm LED in the interior mirror…
NHTSA lists 65 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2019 BMW X6?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine and cooling, engine. Total complaints: 5. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (60%), oil leak or consumption (20%), rollaway, parking brake (20%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2019 BMW X6?
NHTSA lists 65 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2019 BMW X6 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2019 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.