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2013 BMW X6 problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2013 BMW X6 has been recalled for, how often it fails the UK MOT and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 0safety recalls
- 26owner complaints
- 0crash reports
- 1fire report
- 21%fail the UK MOT
26 complaints, against an average of 7 for the other 14 BMW X6 model years.
Every BMW X6 model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2013 BMW X6?
The components named most often in the 26 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
Has the 2013 BMW X6 been recalled?
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2013 BMW X6 as of October 25, 2026. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN before you rely on this.
Is the 2013 BMW X6 recalled in the UK or Europe?
Recalls issued by the UK's DVSA and through the EU's Safety Gate system that cover this model and build period. European models can differ from U.S. ones, and "years estimated" means the recall gave no build dates, so confirm your own car with your registration or VIN.
UK DVSATakata Driver and/or Passenger Airbag Recall (Global VINs)
Risk: Affected vehicles are already included in Safety Recalls within the markets they have previously resided in. The vehicles may be fitted with a driver and/or passenger airbag/s which if deployed may do so with excessive force causing sharp metal fragments to be released this may cause serious injury which could prove fatal to people in the vicinity.
Fix: Vehicles will have the affected airbags checked and if necessary replaced.
UK DVSACheck Driver’s Airbag for Conversion Takata SDI & PSDI-5
Risk: Affected vehicles may have had a retrofit or conversion of the airbag using a previously recalled airbag variant which if deployed may do so with excessive force causing sharp metal fragments to be released this may cause serious injury possibly fatal to people in the vicinity. The original factory fitment airbag for the vehicle is not affected.
Fix: Vehicles will have the airbag checked and if necessary replaced.
UK DVSAThe driver and front passenger airbags may deploy with too much explosive force causing sharp metal fragments to be released into the cabin.
Risk: The driver and front passenger airbags may deploy with too much explosive force causing sharp metal fragments to be released into the cabin.
Fix: Replace the driver and front passenger airbags.
UK DVSAA possible degradation of the propellant tablets could lead to an over-aggressive combustion in the event the airbag is activated which…A possible degradation of the propellant tablets could lead to an over-aggressive combustion in the event the airbag is activated which may cause the inflator body to rupture.
Risk: A possible degradation of airbag propellant tablets could lead to an over-aggressive combustion in the event the airbag is activated which may cause the inflator body to rupture.
Fix: On affected vehicles the drivers airbag module will be replaced.
UK DVSAUndetected EGR System leaks may cause thermal activity in the intake manifold
Risk: Undetected EGR System leaks may cause thermal activity in the intake manifold.
Fix: The engine management control unit (DDE) will be programmed with improved software incorporating the latest OBD functionality.
UK DVSAThe exhaust gas recirculation cooler may leak over time and cause thermal incident
Risk: The Exhaust Gas Recirculation cooler may leak over time and cause thermal incident.
Fix: On the affected vehicles the EGR cooler module will be replaced.
UK DVSAThe idler pulley bolt could become loosened over time
Risk: The power steering idler pulley may detach.
Fix: Replace the pulley securing bolt with an alternative component.
UK DVSAExhaust gas recirculation module cooler could leak
Risk: The EGR cooler may leakpresenting a fire risk
Fix: A visual inspection of the EGR cooler to check for leaks and excessive build-up of deposits. The EGR cooler will be replaced on all affected vehicles
UK DVSAPower steering may not perform correctly
Risk: The electrical contact of the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) of the Electric Power Steering (EPS) is not sufficiently robust over the service life of the vehicle. As a result the power steering support may fail possibly leading to disconcerting driving situation for the driver. Additionally in a few cases a localised thermal event cannot be excluded.
Fix: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the steering gear (EPS).
UK DVSADrive may fail
Risk: The power steering pump drive belt tensioner pulley securing bolt may fail which will lead to the loss of power steering assistance and the necessity for the driver to supply additional input to steering the vehicle.
Fix: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to replace the steering pump drive belt tensioner pulley securing bolt with a more robust version.
EU Safety GateThe propellant in the driver airbag may deteriorate over time.If the airbags deploy, it could result in fragments from the inflator injuring the vehicle's occupants.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateThe propellant in the driver airbag can deteriorate due to high humidity and temperature variations.In the event of an accident in which the airbag deploys, this could result in fragments from the inflator casing coming loose and injuring the vehicle’s occupants.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: 29/06/2021
EU Safety GateThe driver or passenger airbag inflator may malfunction.In the event of an airbag activation this can lead to the release of fragments from the generator housing, increasing the risk of injury.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateThe airbag propellant may deteriorate over time, and If deployed, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator body to burst and…The airbag propellant may deteriorate over time, and If deployed, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator body to burst and metal fragments could pass through the cushion material causing injury to occupants.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateThe four ISOFIX child-seat attachment brackets on the rear seats may not have the necessary structural durability.As a result, one or more of the brackets could break under increased fatigue loading during operation. This may increase the risk of injury in the event of an accident.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateThe control unit of the electronic power steering may have been incorrectly manufactured.This may cause a fire even when the vehicle is parked. Furthermore, steering assistance might fail while driving.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
How often does the 2013 BMW X6 fail its MOT?
Why they failed: the share of failed tests with at least one fault in each area (a test can fail on several). Cars first registered in 2013, tested in Great Britain in 2023; first registration is usually, but not always, the model year. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, Open Government Licence v3.0.
What do 2013 BMW X6 owners report?
12 of the 26 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
While driving on the highway, the warning “engine power reduced” came on and the car just started slowing to a complete stop. Smoke started coming from the engine and the rear, then came to a complete stop and has not started again. Was towed from the highway to a safe location and I was told by mechanic that it was leaking all engine oil and power steering fluid
The contact owns a 2013 BMW X6. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH and ascending an incline, the vehicle started to lose forward momentum and was vibrating. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the front driveshaft needed to be replaced, and that the transmission was leaking and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW X6. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT LOT. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000.
ISSUES: BOTH FRONT THRUST ARM BUSHINGS WORN, OIL LEAKING FROM VEHICLE, REPLACEMENT OF MICROFILTER NEEDED, BRAKE FLUID FLUSH SERVICE AND SUNROOF NOT INITIALIZED. COMMENTS: I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO BE SERVICED AS I WAS GETTING A DRIVER STABILITY MALFUNCTION ERROR AND WHEN DRIVING OVER POTHOLES OR ANY UNEVEN STREET/HIGHWAY, WHEEL WOULD JERK EXTREMELY HARD CAUSING ME TO ENTER OTHER LANES. VEHICLE WAS PULLING HARD AND I HEARD NOISE EVERY TIME I DROVE OVER UNEVEN ROADS. I WAS ALSO GETTING AN ANTI-TRAP MALFUNCTION FOR SUNROOF ERROR MESSAGE. ISSUES: VEHICLE SPUTTERED, SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF AN…
WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, I SHIFTED INTO MANUAL MODE, DOWNSHIFTING I ORDER TO EVADE AN AGGRESSIVE DRIVER. I THEN SHIFTED BACK TO AUTOMATIC, AT APPROXIMATELY 45-50 MPH, AT WHICH POINT THE ENGINE CUT OUT , THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STEERING WAS NON POWERED. THE CAR ALSO SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL. I RECEIVED AN ERROR ABOUT STABILITY AND WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE CAR FOR SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE CAR DID THIS 3 TIMES BEFORE I REACHED MY DESTINATION AND WAS ABLE TO ALLOW IT TO SIT. IT WASN'T UNTIL LATER THAT EVENING THAT IT WAS ABLE TO BE STARTED AND DRIVE SUCCESSFULLY…
BMW DEALERSHIP IN GEORGIA, TBILISI IS LIAR. I VISITED THEM FOR CUSTOMER CAR PACKAGE. UNDER THIS CCP MUST BE REPLACED SOME PARTS WITHOUT CHECKING AND SOME OF THEM AFTER CHECKING. THAT DEALERSHIP CHAMGED ME ONLY AIR MASS SENSORS WHEN BMW AG STATES THAT VENT PIPE BANK 1 AND 2, CONNECTING LINE BANK 1 AND 2, AOR MASS SENSORS, INTAKE AIR DUCT MUST BE REPLACED ON EVERY N63S. INJECTORS, VACUUM PUMP, CHAIN AND SOME ORHER PARTS MUST BE REPLACED AFTER CHECKING IF THEY ARE FAULTY. THAT DEALERSHIP LIED ME THAT THEY RECEIVED NEW DOCUMENTATIONS FROM BMW AND ONLY AIR MASS SENNSORS MUST BE CHANGED. THEY ARE…
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW X6. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 16V071000 AND 17V138000 (AIR BAGS, POWER TRAIN); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE UNKNOWN DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW X6. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V071000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. BMW MONROVIA (1425 MOUNTAIN AVE, MONROVIA, CA) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW X6. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 16V071000 AND 17V138000 (AIR BAGS, POWER TRAIN). THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED A LOCAL DEALER (BMW OF ATLANTIC CITY, LOCATED AT 6807 TILTON RD EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, NJ 08234) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE ON BACKORDER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
DUE TO AN ISSUE WITH THE POWER STEERING PUMP, POWER STEERING FLUID IS LEAKING ALL AROUND THE GEAR AND CHECKED MY VIN AND IS NOT ON THE RECALL. IT IS VERY UNLIKELY THAT A 3 TO 4 YEAR OLD VEHICLE MAY HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AS 2013 BMW X6 STEERING NHTSA CAMPAIGN #12V267000 AND NOT BE PART OF THIS CAMPAIGN. I AM VERY CONCERNED AND WOULD LIKE FOR AN INVESTIGATION TO BE DONE.
WATER PUMP ISSUES, DEALER SUPPOSENLY FIXED MONTHS AGO. CAR IS LIKE NEW WITH 40K + MILES AND ALREADY WATER PUMP REPLACED. THEN NOTICED SMOKE & BURNING SMELL LIKE POSSIBLE FIRE FROM ENGINE AREA A WEEK AGO WHILE CAR IN IDLE, I THEN TOOK IT TO DEALER NEXT DAY AND SOMETHING WASNT REPLACED BY DEALER DURING WATER PUMP EXCHANGE/REPLACEMENT. I THINK IS A LIE, I CERTAINLY THINK VEHICHLE HAVE THAT STEERING ISSUE. ALSO PASSENGER DOOR FROM INSIDE DIDNT OPEN ANYMORE WHICH IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. BUT CAR LIKE I SAID IS LIKE NEW TO ME FOR IT TO BE 3 YEARS OLD WITH 40K MILES. JUST MAJOR FAULTS FOR SUCH AGE…
UPON ON STARTING THE VEHICLE AND DROPPING INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES ON ITS ON , THE THE TACHOMETER JUMPS TO 1000 AND EVEN UP TO 1500 WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. I HAVE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE THREE TIME TO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS AND THEY COULD FIX THE ISSUE. I HAVE ALMOST COLLIDED WITH MULTIPLE VEHICLES IN PARKING LOTS AND ALMOST RAN INTO OUR BUILDING, I HAVE TO STEP ON THE BREAK VERY HARD TO REDUCE THE CAR LUNGING FORWARD, THE CAR STILL TRAVELS WITH MY BRAKE ON, IF THERE WERE A CHILD OR PERSON IN FRONT OF ME THEY WOULD BE INJURED SEVERELY, THIS IS VERY UNSAFE. I HAVE…
2013 BMW X6: questions owners ask
Is the 2013 BMW X6 reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 26 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 BMW X6; the most common categories were air bags (15, 57.7%), engine (7, 26.9%), power train (6, 23.1%). There are no safety recalls listed for this model year. 1 mentions a fire.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 BMW X6?
Across 26 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are air bags (57.7% of complaints), engine (26.9% of complaints), power train (23.1% of complaints), steering (11.5% of complaints), fuel/propulsion system (7.7% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2013 BMW X6 have any recalls?
As of October 2026, NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2013 BMW X6. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Check your own X6
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), DVSA anonymised MOT results (Open Government Licence v3.0), DVSA vehicle recalls (Open Government Licence v3.0), EU Safety Gate alerts (© European Union), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2013 only; combines NHTSA's entries for X6 M, X6 XDRIVE35I and X6 XDRIVE50I.