2021 BMW M440I Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Oct 15, 2026 · 6 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other M440I years
Not enough data 1st of 5 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 6 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 BMW M440I. That is the most of any M440I model year in the database (5 years). The most reported problem area is engine (2 complaints, 33%). Complaints mention 1 crash, 1 fire, 2 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

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Most common 2021 BMW M440I problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Engine2
Electrical System1
Forward Collision Avoidance1
Power Train1
Seat Belts1
Seats1
Service Brakes1
Unknown or Other1
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Engine233%———
Electrical System117%———
Forward Collision Avoidance117%———
Power Train117%———
Seat Belts117%———
Seats117%———
Service Brakes117%———
Unknown or Other117%———

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2026, with 3 complaints
2021: 1202112023: 1202312025: 1202512026: 320263

n = 6 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2021 BMW M440I recalls (5)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Electrical system:software; seat beltsAug 16, 2023 · NHTSA campaign 23V584000 · 144 vehicles

Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2022 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, 2022 430i Coupe, 2021-2022 430i, M440i Convertible, and 2020-2022 228i xDrive Gran Coupe vehicles. The receiver audio module control unit software may fail to properly generate audible seat belt warnings to the driver to fasten their seat belt. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Risk: An audible chime that does not properly alert the driver to fasten their seat belt increases the risk of injury in a crash.

Fix: Dealers will update the receiver audio module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 12, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Seat beltsJul 21, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V554000 · 21,537 vehicles

Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 2 Series (230i, 230i xDrive, M240i, M240i xDrive), 330e, 330e Xdrive, 4 Series Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive) M4 Coupe, M4 Competition Coupe, BMW 4 Series Convertible (430i, M440i), BMW X1 sDrive28i, xDrive28i, 2 Series Gran Coupe (228i, 228i xDrive, M235i xDrive), M2 Competition Coupe, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, M3, M3 Competition, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper, CooperS, JCW), X2 sDrive28i, X2 xDrive28i, X2 M35i, Z4 sDrive30i, Z4 M40i, MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper SE), MINI Convertible (Cooper, Cooper S, JCW), MINI Clubman (Cooper S, Cooper S All4, JCW), MINI Countryman (Cooper, Cooper All4, Cooper S, Cooper S All4, JCW All4), Rolls Royce Ghost, MINI Countryman (Cooper S E All4), Rolls Royce Phantom, Rolls Royce Cullinan, and Toyota Supra vehicles. The passenger seat belt Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) may deactivate early, before the webbing fully retracts. As such, these assemblies fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Risk: During a crash, a seat belt retractor that does not function as intended increases the risk of injury.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the seat belt retractors (including the seat belts) and, if necessary, replace the retractors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417; 1-866-825-1525 (MINI); 1-877-877-3735 (Rolls Royce); and 1-888-270-9371 (Toyota).

Air bags:side/window:thorax; air bags:side/window:headMar 15, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V176000 · 1,850 vehicles

Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 430i and M440i 4 Series Convertible vehicles. In certain side-impact crashes, the head-thorax air bag may not deploy as intended.

Risk: An air bag that deploys incorrectly can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Fix: Dealers will update the software, at no charge. All affected vehicles are still in dealer inventory, and therefore no owner letters will be mailed. The recall began March 9, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Back over prevention: sensing system: camera; back over prevention:softwareFeb 19, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V096000 · 13,858 vehicles

Problem: BMW 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 430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive vehicles. When shifting into Reverse, a small portion of the rearview image may be obscured, or the screen may not illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Risk: If 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.

Fix: BMW 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.

Electrical system:12v/24v/48v batteryDec 9, 2020 · NHTSA campaign 20V761000 · 812 vehicles

Problem: BMW 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.

Risk: Increased electrical resistance can increase the risk of a fire.

Fix: BMW 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.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Pedestrian alert sounds (DP22005) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V063000.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

BMW dealer noted "clunk on accel" at 57,152 miles on RO #224018 under engine mounts. Dealer quoted $3,463.38 for engine mounts. I declined repair. Clunk on acceleration is still present at 60,700 miles. Same symptom as BMW Service Bulletin SIB 27-02-20 for 4 Series Drive jerking/shuddering from…

Power Train · received Oct 15, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11771285

The engine starter motor system failed, specifically involving an intermittent no-start condition related to a pinion starter line break / internal component defect. The vehicle and all original mechanical components are fully intact and available for professional inspection upon request. The…

Engine · received Oct 9, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11770073

I am seeing a lot of concerns regarding the seatbelt extenders, the buckle end pretensioner, seat wiring harness and the yellow box connectors that are where the main power and air bag SRS connections sit under the drivers seat. The seat harnesses are catching in the sliding track mechanism during…

Seat Belts · received Jul 28, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11753304

The car basically blew up on the highway at rush hour. BMW knows of this issue with this model and has some of their other models under a recall for this very thing. I have a service action from BMW saying that the water pump assembly needs to be fixed before this very problem occurs but for some…

Engine · received Jun 17, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11667474

Vehicle brakes malfunctioned.

Service Brakes · received Jan 2, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11499824

Other BMW M440I years

2022 M440I →

YearComplaintsRecalls
2025 M440I10
2024 M440I10
2023 M440I31
2022 M440I03
202165

See all BMW M440I problems by year, every BMW model, or the BMW VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2021 BMW M440I?

Owners most often report engine, electrical system, forward collision avoidance problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 2 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2021 BMW M440I?

Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2021 BMW M440I a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other M440I model years, the 2021 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.