2020 BMW Z4 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Z4 years
- Not enough data 12th of 21 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 BMW Z4. That ranks 12th out of 21 Z4 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (2 complaints, 40%). Complaints mention 1 crash. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year.
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- 5owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2020 BMW Z4 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 2 | 40% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 40% | 3,300 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 40% | 3,150 | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 40% | 1,600 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 20% | 3,300 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 20% | 3,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 20% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2020 BMW Z4 recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:starter assembly:relayPark outside
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 BMW 330i, 2019-2022 BMW Z4, 2020-2022 BMW 530i, X3, X4, Toyota Supra, 2021-2022 BMW 430i, 430i Convertible, and 2022 BMW 230i vehicles. The engine starter relay may corrode, causing the relay to overheat and short circuit.
Risk: A short circuit in the starter relay may increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is complete. Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 6, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov November 14, 2025.
Engine
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 M340i, M340i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, X3 M40i, 2020-2021 X4 M40i, 745Le xDrive, 2019-2021 Z4 M40i, and 2020-2021 Toyota Supra vehicles. During engine start, the engine management software may cause loss of braking assist. Full mechanical braking (without assist) remains available.
Risk: Loss of braking assist can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the engine management software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Z4 and 2020-2021 Toyota Supra vehicles. The weld between the fuel tank halves may have been insufficiently welded, causing the weld to fail.
Risk: The failed weld may allow fuel to leak, increasing the risk of a fire in the presence of an ignition source.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
Exterior lighting:headlights
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Z4 sDrive30i, Z4 M40i and 2020 Toyota Supra vehicles. The headlamps are able to be adjusted horizontally. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices and Associated Equipment."
Risk: Should the headlamps be adjusted horizontally, there could be increased glare and reduced visibility for oncoming drivers, or reduced visibility for the vehicle operator, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the headlamp vertical and horizontal adjustment plugs, correcting them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 23, 2020. BMW owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
Exterior lighting:headlights
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 Z4 M40i, Z4 sDrive30i, 330i and 330i xDrive vehicles as well as 2020 Toyota Supra vehicles. The headlight control units may fail causing a loss of one or both of the headlights.
Risk: Headlight failure can reduce the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the headlight control units, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 17, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 530e, 530e xDrive, X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive, X3 M40i, X3 M, and 2019-2020 X4 xDrive, X4 M40i, X4 M, X7 xDrive, X7 M50i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 8 Series Convertible and Coupe 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, X5 sDrive, X5 xDrive, X5 M50i, X6 xDrive, X6 M50i, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, Z4 sDrive, Z4 M40i, 740Le xDrive and 745Le xDrive, 2018-2019 640i xDrive Gran Turismo and Rolls-Royce Phantom, 2019 M850i xDrive Gran Coupe and Rolls-Royce Cullinan and 2020 Toyota Supra vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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…
Engine starter safety recall came out in September 2025, with no remedy or parts existing for fixing it. 5 months later, and no timeframe is provided for a remedy. This is a major fire risk given the amount of rain now that could corrode the starter and lead to a fire.
Don't know what is causing it. There is major squeaking/whining/grinding noise if even a tiny bit of water gets in there and last couple days after that. And when you turn the steering wheel to the left the squeaking/whining gets louder. And when does do this the suspension if you hit even a small…
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…
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.
Other BMW Z4 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Z4 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 Z4 | 0 | 2 |
| 2022 Z4 | 1 | 3 |
| 2021 Z4 | 1 | 5 |
| 2020 | 5 | 6 |
| 2019 Z4 | 5 | 6 |
| 2016 Z4 | 4 | 1 |
| 2015 Z4 | 5 | 1 |
| 2014 Z4 | 7 | 3 |
| 2013 Z4 | 7 | 3 |
| 2012 Z4 | 5 | 4 |
| 2011 Z4 | 46 | 6 |
| 2010 Z4 | 10 | 5 |
| 2009 Z4 | 22 | 4 |
| 2008 Z4 | 19 | 2 |
| 2007 Z4 | 33 | 2 |
| 2006 Z4 | 91 | 2 |
| 2005 Z4 | 191 | 0 |
| 2004 Z4 | 411 | 1 |
| 2003 Z4 | 414 | 4 |
| 2002 Z4 | 4 | 0 |
See all BMW Z4 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 2020 BMW Z4?
Owners most often report electrical system, engine, service brakes problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 2 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2020 BMW Z4?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2020 BMW Z4 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Z4 model years, the 2020 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.