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 the federal safety agency 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. Because this is an identical component failure that poses a severe vehicle fire and safety hazard, I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate a recall expansion to include my vehicle's production batch. I have retained the diagnostic reports and repair invoices as evidence.
The worst 2020 BMW Z4 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Brakes2
- Electrical2
- Engine2
- Steering2
- Body1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes2
- Electrical2
- Engine2
- Steering2
- Body1
- Suspension1
Recalls 6
Electrical system: starter assembly: relay
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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 November 14, 2025.
Recall number 25V636000 · Recall details
Engine
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 21V598000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 20V700000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: headlights
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 20V516000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: headlights
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 19V850000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 19V684000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2020 BMW Z4 165
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- The EVAP systems purge (vent) valve limited warranty for defects in materials or workmanship has been...
- Bearing Shell Return
- The convertible top does not open or close.
- SITUATION BMW AG is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Recall (effective April 23, 2021) on a certain Model...
- An interference noise (groaning noise) can be heard from within the heating and air-conditioning unit in...
- The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
- The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few...
- At low outside temperatures (below 40 degrees F) and slow driving speeds (i.e. when parking,...
- A vehicle arrives at your center to be diagnosed for a micro-leak in the fuel evaporative (EVAP)...
- The Central Information Display goes black intermittently due to resets of the Head Unit (HU-H3)....
2020 BMW Z4 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | RWD | 24 | 32 | 27 |
| 3.0L 6‑cyl | RWD | 24 | 31 | 26 |
What 2020 BMW Z4 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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 bump will bottom out and make grinding noises. Bmw has looked at the car couple times first time they said there was rust. Second time they couldn't find anything wrong with it.
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. We have photos but not on this computer.
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.
Compare the 2020 BMW Z4
Other model years
20022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620192020202120222025
Questions about the 2020 BMW Z4
Is the 2020 BMW Z4 reliable?
Owners have filed 5 complaints about the 2020 BMW Z4, fewer than a typical Z4 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2020 BMW Z4?
Brakes, with 2 complaints. Next is electrical (2).
How many recalls does the 2020 BMW Z4 have?
6 recalls, covering electrical system, engine and fuel system, gasoline.
What gas mileage does the 2020 BMW Z4 get?
Official estimates for the 2020 BMW Z4 range from 26 to 27 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.0L 4-cyl, RWD) gets 24 city and 32 highway.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2020 BMW Z4?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history