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BMW Z4Model year report

2020 BMW Z4 Problems

Complaints
5filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
3,000miles, 3 complaints with mileage
Recalls
6campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
27 mpgcombined, 2.0L 4-cyl RWD · 24 city / 32 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2020 BMW Z4 (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 5 consumer complaints for the 2020 BMW Z4. The part named most often is brakes, with 2 complaints (40% of the total), followed by electrical system (2) and engine (2). 3 of the complaints include a mileage, and 100% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 3,000 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns and 165 technical service bulletins for this model year. Brakes complaints overlap with 7 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Electrical system complaints overlap with 1 recall campaign covering the relay and 71 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Brakes: “Was in a drive thru on 9/6/2020 waiting our turn. Approx. 7 cars in front of us. As we are slowly moving up to order, car in idle, foot on brake. As we are moving forward, when we were up to 3 cars, still idling and foot on brake, the car had fully accelerated, brake not holding the car, inching forward due to the force of the acceleration. Tried to shift into neutral, went into reverse. Tried again to shift into neutral, went into drive, still inching forward, at this time I pushed the off button to stop the car. Result of collision with the vehicle in front of us. …”

NHTSA complaint #11363216, filed 2020-10, 3,300 miles

Electrical system: “The engine starter failed on my 2020 BMW Z4 M40i. The vehicle experienced starting failures and the repair shop diagnosed a faulty/shorted engine starter assembly. The symptoms and component failure match the exact defect description of active safety recalls NHTSA 24V-576 and 25V-636 (Starter Motor Fire Risk due to electrical short circuit/overheating). However, when checking my specific 17-digit VIN, the manufacturer has excluded my vehicle from the recall population. …”

NHTSA complaint #11751896, filed 2026-07

Steering: “Bmw's lane departure system actually pulls the car's steering left or right, and could cause the car to collide with another vehicle or run off the road. I experienced this while driving on the freeway in southern california. The lane departure system almost pulled my vehicle into the adjacent lane.”

NHTSA complaint #11289091, filed 2019-12, 200 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

100% of the 3 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 200 and 3,300 miles.

100%0–100%10–250%25–500%50–750%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (3 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 3,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

20192020220262
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2020 BMW Z4 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Z4 M40i RWD3.0L 6-cyl8-speed automatic243126$3,150
Z4 sDrive30i RWD2.0L 4-cyl8-speed automatic243227$3,050

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2020 BMW Z4 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 165 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 165 bulletins →

Other model years of the BMW Z4

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
202053,0006—27—Not enough data
201952006—28—Not enough data
2015511,2121—26—Not enough data
2014726,0003—21—Not enough data
2013738,6503—21—Not enough data
2012565,9004—21—Not enough data
20114636,0006—21Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Rising
2010108,0665—22—Not enough data
20092217,5004—22—Falling
20081960,0002—21—Falling
20073347,0002—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20069154,0002—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200519146,5000—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200441147,0001—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200341441,5754—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All BMW Z4 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2020 BMW Z4 have?

NHTSA recorded 5 consumer complaints for the 2020 BMW Z4 as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2020 BMW Z4 is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 2 complaints (40% of the total), followed by electrical system with 2.

Has the 2020 BMW Z4 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2020 BMW Z4 get?

The EPA rates the 2020 BMW Z4 (Z4 sDrive30i, 2.0L 4-cyl) at 27 mpg combined, 24 city and 32 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,050 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2020 BMW Z4 reported?

Among the 3 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 3,000 miles and the middle half falls between 200 and 3,300 miles; 100% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.