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U.S. public vehicle records

2020 Bmw X4: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

15 owner complaints analyzed

10 distinct recall campaigns

2,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2020 model year. Data snapshot: . 5 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 4 of 15 complaints (26.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Electrical and battery issues320.0%
Steering behavior320.0%
Braking behavior213.3%
Engine operation16.7%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Electrical System
4
Air Bags
3
Suspension
3
Unknown Or Other
3
Seat Belts
2
Engine
1
Exterior Lighting
1
Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings
1
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Electrical System4
Air Bags3
Suspension3
Unknown Or Other3
Seat Belts2
Engine1
Exterior Lighting1
Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings1

Electrical System: 4; Air Bags: 3; Suspension: 3; Unknown Or Other: 3; Seat Belts: 2; Engine: 1; Exterior Lighting: 1; Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
3
25,000 to 49,999
1
50,000 to 74,999
1
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0003
25,000 to 49,9991
50,000 to 74,9991
75,000 to 99,9990
100,000 to 149,9990
150,000 and above0

Under 25,000: 3; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (3). 10 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2019
1
2020
2
2023
2
2024
3
2025
2
2026
5
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20191
20202
20232
20243
20252
20265

2019: 1; 2020: 2; 2023: 2; 2024: 3; 2025: 2; 2026: 5

Pattern summary

Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 3 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Examples from the source records

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 11289410 · 2019-12-16 (December 16, 2019)

JUST BOUGHT THE CAR. THE HATCHBACK OPENED WHILE DRIVING. BMW REPROGRAMMED KEY FOB SO NEED TO PRESS CAR OPEN THEN HATCH OPEN. BUT THE ALARM GOES OFF ALL THE TIME AND CAR UNLOCKS IF ANYTHING PRESSES ON KEY FOB. BMW SAID KEEP MY FOB IN A LEATHER CASE IN MY COAT OR POCKET. THAT HELPED BUT STILL HAPPENS DUE TO DESIGN OF KEY FOB . I AM STILL WORRIED THE TRUCK WILL OPEN WHEN DRIVIN* AS IT DID TWICE. VERY DANGEROUS.

Owner-reported narrative. 200 miles reported. Look up ODI 11289410 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11330951 · 2020-06-26 (June 26, 2020)

ON JUNE 21, 2020, ON A CITY STREET. MY WHITE BMW WAS TRAVELING WESTWARD AND A BLACK BMW WAS TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND. THE BLACK BMW RAN ITS RED LIGHT TO MY GREEN LIGHT. WHEN WE COLLIDED IN THE INTERSECTION THE COMPLETE FRONT END OF MY WHITE BMW IMPACTED THE BLACK BMW DRIVER'S SIDE, FROM APPROXIMATELY FROM THE FRONT TIRE, TO JUST INTO ITS REAR DOOR. THAT IMPACT CAUSED THE BLACK BMW'S SIDE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY, AND EITHER AT THE SAME TIME OR UPON A SUBSEQUENT COLLISION WITH A BOLLARD, ITS FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED ALSO. TO MY SHOCK AND DISMAY, NON OF T…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11330951 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11352423 · 2020-09-01 (September 1, 2020)

THE CARS SCREENS DIM TO A POINT WHERE YOU CANT SEE THE SCREENS CLEARLY SPECIFICALLY DURING THE DAY WHEN YOU DRIVE THRU A AREA WITH TREES OR SHADE. THE CAR SCREENS DIM EVEN WHEN IN REVERSE AND YOU COULD POSSIBLY HIT A PERSON , ANIMAL, AND OR A CAR. THEN WHEN YOU GO IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT ITS BACK TO NORMAL. AT NIGHT ITS ALL DIMMED EVEN ON THE STRONGEST LIGHT SETTINGS WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING ON THE ROAD THE STREET LIGHTS AND STOP LIGHTS ARE BRIGHT NOWADAYS BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR EXTREMELY DIMMED SCREENS YOUR EYES CANT FOCUS AND IT CAUSES YOU TO LOSE …

Owner-reported narrative. 8 miles reported. Look up ODI 11352423 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11527973 · 2023-06-20 (June 20, 2023)

The contact owns a 2020 BMW X4. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. Upon restarting the vehicle, the vehicle failed to accelerate properly. The drivetrain malfunction warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the rear differential had disconnected from the drive shaft. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 58,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 58,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11527973 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11557184 · 2023-11-28 (November 28, 2023)

I own the car since brand new from dealership and never have incident. Couple weeks ago, started having issues with digital main instruments panel. Suddenly when I turn on the car in the morning the dash simply does not work. I got alert saying one the safety system is malfunctioning but not say what it was specifically. After 5 min the engine is on the main dash back to work normally, and all the alerts disappear. I have checked faulty codes and I see faulty code record to identify what would be. I would report as safety incident as the failu…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11557184 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11571803 · 2024-02-14 (February 14, 2024)

My bmw x4M competition 2020 has pop off a sign that said chassis possible continue driving . It put me in sport suspension and it off traction mode . It is very dangerous for me to drive because in a snow or rainy day it very slippery and sometime I almost cash because slip indicators turn on . I cannot turn it off to drive safe and vehicle drive very different .

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11571803 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11595719 · 2024-06-21 (June 21, 2024)

The contact owns a 2020 BMW X4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Restrain System Fault" message was displayed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the driver's side seat belt. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V164000 (Seat Belt, Air Bags) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline…

Owner-reported narrative. 42,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11595719 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11626312 · 2024-11-20 (November 20, 2024)

Seatbelt driver restraint malfunctioning light came on .

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11626312 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

10 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

19V678000 · Suspension:Front | Steering

Reported: 2019-09-25 (September 25, 2019)

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, and X3 M40i vehicles, X4 xDrive30i, and X4 M40i vehicles. The front axle swivel bearings may not have been properly heat treated during manufacturing, reducing their strength and possibly causing them to break.

Consequence: Broken swivel bearings can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: BMW has notified owners and instructed them to not drive their vehicles. Dealers will replace the front axle swivel bearings, free of charge. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
19V684000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera

Reported: 2019-09-27 (September 27, 2019)

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."

Consequence: 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.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
19V738000 · Steering:Rack And Pinion:Pinion Shaft

Reported: 2019-10-16 (October 16, 2019)

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 BMW X3 M40i and X4 M40i vehicles. The steering rack pinion teeth may break under load, resulting in a loss of steering control.

Consequence: A loss of steering control increases risk of a crash.

Remedy: BMW has notified owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear, free of charge. The recall began October 9, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
20V152000 · Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel

Reported: 2020-03-18 (March 18, 2020)

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 X4 xDrive30i and X4 M40i, and 2018-2020 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X3M vehicles. The instrument panel casing may not have been tightened properly to the passenger air bag.

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, the air bag could damage the instrument panel and cause small pieces of the panel to strike the driver or other occupants, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the instrument panel casing, free of charge. The recall began May 15, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
20V164000 · Seat Belts:Pretensioner | Seat Belts:Front:Warning Light/Devices | Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly | Air Bags

Reported: 2020-03-19 (March 19, 2020)

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 X3 xDrive30e, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, X4M, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, 840i Gran Coupe, 840i xDrive Gran Coupe, M850i xDrive Gran Coupe, M8 Gran Coupe, X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, and 840i xDrive Convertible vehicles. The sensors in the front seat belt buckles may inaccurately detect a belted occupant as unbelted, possibly causing the air bag and seat belt pretensioners to deploy improperly in the event of a crash.

Consequence: If the air bag and/or seat belt pretensioners deploy improperly in the event of a crash, there is an increased risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the front seat belt buckles, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 18, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
20V355000 · Steering:Linkages:Tie Rod Assembly

Reported: 2020-06-15 (June 15, 2020)

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019 Z4 sDrive30i, 2019-2020 330i xDrive, M340i and M340i xDrive, 2020 X3M and X4M, and Toyota Supra vehicles. In certain driving conditions, such as high temperatures and rough road surfaces, a steering gear tie rod may become damaged, possibly resulting in a fractured tie rod.

Consequence: A damaged or fractured tie rod may affect vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: BMW and Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear tie rods, free of charge. The recall began August 14, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
20V598000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera

Reported: 2020-09-30 (September 30, 2020)

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 X3 sDrive 30i, X3 xDrive 30i, X3M 40i, X3 xDrive 30e, X4 xDrive 30i, X4M 40i, 530i, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 550e, 550e xDrive, and 550e iPerformance vehicles. A small portion of the rearview image may be slightly obscured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Consequence: If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, program the rearview camera with updated software. The recall began November 18, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
21V096000 · Back Over Prevention:Software | Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera

Reported: 2021-02-19 (February 19, 2021)

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."

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
21V598000 · Engine

Reported: 2021-08-02 (August 2, 2021)

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.

Consequence: 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.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
25V636000 · Electrical System:Starter Assembly:Relay

Reported: 2025-09-23 (September 23, 2025)

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.

Consequence: 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 NHTSA.gov November 14, 2025.

NHTSA campaign record ↗