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BMW F26 X4 buyer's guide

2015–2018 · xDrive28i, xDrive35i, M40i (N20, N55)

BMW X4 xDrive35d M Sport (F26)
BMW X4 xDrive35d M Sport (F26). Photo: M 93, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped, resized).

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Engines by year Model-year changes Known problems Warranty extensions Recalls Inspection checklist Red flags Specs Coding Ownership costs Sources

Models and engines by year

ModelUS model yearsEngine
xDrive28i2015–2018N20
xDrive35i2015–2018N55
M40i2016–2018N55

US-market models. Chassis codes: F26. Not sure which one you have? The VIN check decodes year, model and engine.

Model-year changes

Model yearWhat changed
LaunchUnveiled at the 2014 New York show, built in Spartanburg. The 355 hp M40i went on sale February 2016.9
2015US lineup in the EPA listings: 2.0L 4-cyl turbo: X4 xDrive28i; 3.0L 6-cyl turbo: X4 xDrive35i.10
2016New: X4 M40i (3.0L 6-cyl turbo).10
2017No longer listed: X4 xDrive35i.10

US model years unless noted. "LCI" (Life Cycle Impulse) is BMW's name for a mid-cycle facelift.

Known problems and when they show up

Mileages are what the cited shops, specialists and owner forums report. They are typical ranges, not predictions for any one car.

N20 engine

xDrive28i (2015–2018) · N20 bulletins

ProblemWhen it shows upWhat to knowRepair prices
Timing chain guides and oil pump drive chainany mileage; BMW warranty extension is 7 years/70,000 milesA whine from the front of the engine that rises with rpm, or a cold-start rattle. A broken guide can destroy the engine. BMW revised the chain parts from January 2015 production. Its warranty extension (SIB 11 03 17) covers listed 2012–2015 N20/N26 cars built up to mid-2015, for 7 years/70,000 miles from in-service. A class-action settlement (SIB 11 02 21) covers cars built through February 2015.1,2,3,4N20 timing chain replacement
Owners paid: indie shop $2,375–$2,832 · dealer $3,550–$5,000
Oil leaks and electric water pumpnot tied to a mileage in our sourcesValve cover, oil filter housing gasket leaks and electric water pump failures also come up on higher-mileage N20s.No price yet

N55 engine

xDrive35i (2015–2018), M40i (2016–2018) · N55 bulletins

ProblemWhen it shows upWhat to knowRepair prices
Valve cover and gasket leakabout 60,000–100,000 milesBurning-oil smell and oil on the spark plug wells. The plastic cover can also crack, so it is often replaced together with the gasket.5,6,7N55 valve cover / valve cover gasket (PCV)
Owners paid: indie shop $930–$1,625 · dealer $1,450–$2,076
Oil filter housing gasket leakabout 50,000–130,000 milesOil drips onto the belt and tensioner. Fix it before the belt is damaged.5,6,7,8N55 oil filter housing gasket (OFHG)
Owners paid: indie shop $648–$763
Electric water pump and thermostatusually before 100,000 miles; reported failures range from about 30,000 to over 120,000Fails suddenly, often with no warning, then overheats.5,6,7N52 / N54 / N55 electric water pump + thermostat
Plastic charge pipecan crack at any age, even at stock boost; about 40,000–90,000 miles (60,000–150,000 km) per EngineScopeSudden loss of boost and a whoosh under load.5,7N55 charge pipe (intercooler to throttle) replacement
Oil pan gasketusually past 100,000 milesExpensive labor because the subframe must be lowered.5N55 oil pan gasket
Owners paid: indie shop $1,588–$1,900
VANOS solenoidsaround 120,000 milesRough idle and cam timing faults.5VANOS solenoids (intake / exhaust)

Warranty extensions and service campaigns 13

Warranty extensions (13)

Filed by BMW with NHTSA. Extensions usually follow the car to later owners and can reimburse earlier repairs; a BMW dealer can confirm by VIN.

NHTSA safety recalls 5

  • Recall 24V608: water pump, plug connector 228I, 328I, 428I, 528I, X1, X3, X4, X5, Z4, 2012–2018. 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
  • Recall 23V797: driver front air bag X3, X4, X5, 2014–2015. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
  • Recall 16V683: inflator module X3, X4, X5, 2014–2015. BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2015 BMW X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, X3 xDrive35i, X3 xDrive28d, X4 xDrive28i and X4 xDrive35i vehicles, and model year 2014-2015 X5 xDrive35i, X5 sDrive35i, X5 xDrive50i, and 2014 X5 xDrive35d vehicles.
  • Recall 16V333: latch strap X3, X4, 2011–2017. The affected vehicles have lower anchor bars for securing child restraint seats that may become damaged when using the European-ISOFIX-type, rigid-style connector, child restraint system.
  • Recall 14V648: exterior X3, X4, 2015. The affected vehicles may have been produced with a driver's side exterior rearview mirror that was designed to meet non-US market requirements.

Matched from NHTSA's public recall file by model and model year. A recall may cover only some cars from a year, and it may already have been done on yours. Check by VIN →

Test drive and inspection checklist

  1. Run the VIN for open recalls. Open safety recalls are free at any BMW dealer. Check on NHTSA's site or our recall page before you buy.11
  2. Scan for stored fault codes with a BMW-capable tool. A generic OBD reader misses most BMW modules. Specialist guides recommend a BMW-level scan (ISTA or similar) to catch faults that have been cleared from the dash but still stored.12,13
  3. Start it from cold. Ask the seller not to warm the car up first. Chain rattle, VANOS rattle, lifter tick and rough idle show most clearly in the first seconds after a cold start.12,14,15
  4. Ask a BMW dealer about warranty extensions and campaigns. Several BMW warranty extensions follow the car, not the owner, and some reimburse earlier repairs. A dealer can check the VIN. The list for this chassis is below.
  5. Get a pre-purchase inspection from a BMW specialist. A few hundred dollars for an independent BMW specialist is the usual advice, especially for M cars and high-mileage turbo engines.16,12

Engine items to listen and look for are in the known problems section.

Service-history red flags

  • Oil changes only at the long computer interval. Several guides advise changing oil more often than the onboard service indicator (CBS) suggests, especially with lots of city driving.15,17
  • Gaps in the records around known failure mileages. If the engine section below lists a job that usually comes due at the car's mileage, ask for the invoice. A missing record isn't proof it wasn't done, but it is a negotiating point.
  • Tuned or "deleted" cars. Tunes, emissions deletes and removed parts complicate warranty claims and inspections and raise wear on turbo cars. Ask, and look for aftermarket intakes, downpipes and charge pipes.
  • N20: ask for records of Timing chain guides and oil pump drive chain; Oil leaks and electric water pump.
  • N55: ask for records of Valve cover and gasket leak; Oil filter housing gasket leak; Electric water pump and thermostat; Plastic charge pipe; Oil pan gasket; VANOS solenoids.

F26 specs

BMW's US figures we have on file run from 240 hp (X4 xDrive28i) to 355 hp (X4 M40i), with 0-60 mph as quick as 4.7 s.

No manual gearbox appears in the EPA listings for this chassis. Full F26 specs: every US engine, transmission and drive by year →

Coding

The coding apps' own lists show 156 settings that owners can change on the F26 with a phone and an OBD adapter, in areas such as Seat heating/cooling, Convenient opening/closing, Display options iDrive system, Headlight cleaning, Tailgate, Mirrors. 134 come from BimmerCode's list and 22 more appear only in Carly's list.

Full F26 coding list with tool, difficulty and caveats →

Ownership costs

Routine maintenance: oil service prices by engine size, published BMW Value Service prices (brakes, spark plugs) from 16 US dealers, and the F26 maintenance schedule.

Repairs we price that apply to the F26

Repair and owner-reported prices
N20 timing chain replacement
Owners paid: indie shop $2,375–$2,832 · dealer $3,550–$5,000
N55 oil filter housing gasket (OFHG)
Owners paid: indie shop $648–$763
N55 valve cover / valve cover gasket (PCV)
Owners paid: indie shop $930–$1,625 · dealer $1,450–$2,076
N52 / N54 / N55 electric water pump + thermostat
N55 oil pan gasket
Owners paid: indie shop $1,588–$1,900
VANOS solenoids (intake / exhaust)
N55 ignition coils (all six)
N55 charge pipe (intercooler to throttle) replacement

"Owners paid" is the middle 50% of sourced owner prices across chassis with the same engine. Each job page reprices for your ZIP.

By model year

YearModels and enginesNHTSA recallsWarranty extensionsRepairs we price
2015xDrive28i N20
xDrive35i N55		5118
Priciest: N20 timing chain replacement, owners paid up to $5,000 (dealer, middle 50%)
2016xDrive28i N20
xDrive35i N55
M40i N55		2108
Priciest: N20 timing chain replacement, owners paid up to $5,000 (dealer, middle 50%)
2017xDrive28i N20
xDrive35i N55
M40i N55		2118
Priciest: N20 timing chain replacement, owners paid up to $5,000 (dealer, middle 50%)
2018xDrive28i N20
xDrive35i N55
M40i N55		1108
Priciest: N20 timing chain replacement, owners paid up to $5,000 (dealer, middle 50%)

Recalls and warranty extensions are counted when their published model-year range includes that year. Each one may cover only some cars, so check by VIN. Repairs counted are the ones whose engine was offered that year.

More for the F26

F26 repair costs and recalls F26 common problems F26 maintenance schedule Used BMW VIN check

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