Reliable Auto DB

2020 BMW X7 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2020 BMW X7 holds 54 complaints after 7 years, a rate of 3 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most X7 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 4. NHTSA has 12 recalls on file, including Starter, Seats, and Sunroof.

2019 BMW X7
Photo by LuvsMG481, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

54

Per year

3

Recalls

12

Years on the road

7

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (15 of 54), then Engine (13) and Electrical system (12). Those filings include 2 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 X7 has 47 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2021 has 46 complaints, 3 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2021.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2020 BMW X7. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (12)

Recall electrical system, starter 2025-09-25 · NHTSA campaign 25V644000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 340I, X6, 2020-2025 840I, 2020-2022 740LI, 2019-2020 X7, and X5 vehicles. After repeated attempts, the starter motor may overheat from an electrical overload.
Remedy Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. This recall includes vehicles repaired under recall 24V576 and those owners will need to have their vehicle repaired again. Owner notification letters were mailed February 9, 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 17, 2025.
Recall electrical system, starter 2024-08-01 · NHTSA campaign 24V576000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC is recalling certain 2019-2020 X5, X7, 2020 3 Series Sedan, X6, 2020-2021 7 Series Sedan, 2020 8 Series Convertible, 8 Series Coupe, and 2020 8 Series Gran Coupe vehicles. Please see the recall report for the complete list of models. In the event the starter motor fails, repeated attempts to start the vehicle can cause the starter motor to overheat from an electrical overload.
Remedy Dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 27, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall Seats 2022-09-07 · NHTSA campaign 22V670000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2022 BMW X7 xDrive40i, X7 Drive50i, X7 M50i vehicles with third-row seats. One or more of the compression springs that lock the backrest may not have been installed properly, and could dislodge or detach.
Remedy Dealers will inspect the third-row seat and, if necessary, remove and reinstall improperly installed compression springs, and reinstall any missing springs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 4, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall visibility, sunroof 2022-04-20 · NHTSA campaign 22V267000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2022 4 Series Gran Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive); 2019-2022 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M50i, X5M; 2021-2022 X5 xdrive45e; 2020-2022 X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xDrive50i, X6M and 2019-2023 X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, X7 xDrive60i, X7 M60i, X7M, Alpina XB7 vehicles. The roof function control unit may be programmed incorrectly, allowing the sunroof to close without the key fob present inside the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."
Remedy Dealers will reprogram the roof function control unit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2021-02-19 · NHTSA campaign 21V096000
Summary 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."
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.
Recall Hydraulic brakes 2021-02-10 · NHTSA campaign 21V062000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 8 Series Coupe, Grand Coupe and convertible 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8 and 740 Li, 740 Li xDrive, 750 Li xDrive, M760 Li xDrive, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xdrive50i, X6 M50i, X6M, and 2019-2021 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M50i, X5M, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, and 2021 M3, M3 Competition, M4 Coupe, M4 Competition Coupe, X5 xDrive45e, 745 Le xDrive. The rotor and shaft within the integrated brake system may not have been welded properly and could separate during a hard braking event, possibly resulting in a loss of the Antilock Brake System (ABS) and braking assistance.
Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the integrated brake system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 25, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall suspension, front, control arm 2020-11-04 · NHTSA campaign 20V678000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 X5 sDrive40i, xDrive40i, X5 M50i, X5M, X7 xDrive40i, X7 M50i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 M50i and X6M vehicles and 2021 X5 xDrive45e vehicles. The weld between the front axle support and the right front control arm bearing bracket may separate.
Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front axle support, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall exterior lighting, headlights 2020-09-01 · NHTSA campaign 20V528000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 X5 sDrive40i, xDrive40i, xDrive50i, X5 M50i, X5M, X6 sDrive40i, xDrive40i, X6 M50i, X6M, X7 M50i and 2021 X5 xDrive45e vehicles. The headlamps may allow a blue light to illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the headlamps and, if necessary, replace them, free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission 2020-08-07 · NHTSA campaign 20V465000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 X5 sDrive 40i, X5 xDrive 40i and one X7 xDrive 40i vehicle. The starter motor may have an extra bolt that could potentially fall into the transmission housing and cause an engine stall.
Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the starter motor for the extra bolt, removing it if necessary. Dealers will also inspect the starter for damage, and check if the bolt has fallen into the transmission housing, replacing any damaged parts as necessary. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 2, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall Exterior lighting 2020-01-30 · NHTSA campaign 20V052000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 X7 xDrive40i and X7 xDrive50i vehicles. The rear reflex reflectors may not reflect an adequate amount of light. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace both rear reflex reflectors, free of charge. The recall began March 30, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2019-09-27 · NHTSA campaign 19V684000
Summary 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."
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 steering, rack and pinion, rack 2019-08-28 · NHTSA campaign 19V631000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 M50i, X7 xDrive40i and X7 M50i vehicles. The steering rack pinion teeth may break under load, resulting in a loss of steering control.
Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering rack, free of charge. The recall began August 21, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Complaints by component (54 total)

Powertrain
15
Engine
13
Electrical system
12
Seats
5
Steering
5
Suspension
5
Engine and engine cooling
3
Service brakes
3
Structure
3
Forward collision avoidance
2
Fuel and propulsion system
2
Air bags
1
Back-over prevention
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Lane departure
1
Seat belts
1
Show 8 more Show less
Crash-flagged

2

Fire-flagged

3

Injury reports

2

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

120193202032021220223202382024182025162026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "2020 bmw x7 with 34k miles 1 driver, front suspension control arm leaking causing clunk and un even steering / braking feel due to premature leaking of the hydraulic fluid do to a design flaw. As a 40 Honda master tech…"
    Steering, Suspension, Service brakes · filed 2026-09-22
  • "Approximately 67,000 miles, my 2020 BMW X7 XDrive 40i began falsely indicating that the driver's door was open even though the door was securely closed. While the vehicle was in drive and moving, the false door open…"
    Powertrain, Electrical system, Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-21
  • "We came from [XXX] to [XXX] at night. It was rainy in [XXX]. We parked the vehicle in the front of the garage door of the house and went to sleep. Around 8:00-9:00AM two police cars from [XXX] PD came to our house. The…"
    Electrical system, Unknown or other · filed 2026-07-08
  • "Low oil sensor continues to light up and says i am low on oil. Found out that my oil pump was the main cause of the issue. At this time I have to have the oil pump replaced. It was also determined there have been…"
    Engine · filed 2026-06-22
  • "The front thrust arm bushing was previously replaced on December 19, 2023, at 34,750 miles (after three years of ownership). It has now failed again at 57,203 miles, lasting only about 22,500 miles. This repeat failure…"
    Suspension · filed 2026-06-15

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2020 BMW X7 SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
X7 M50i 4.4L, 8-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 15 21 17 MPG $4700
X7 xDrive40i 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 20 25 22 MPG $3650
X7 xDrive50i 4.4L, 8-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 15 21 17 MPG $4700

Specs and fitment

G07 generation, 2019–present
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 or 0W-30 (engine-dependent)
Tire size 285/45R21; optional staggered 275/40R22 front / 315/35R22 rear

Known issues for this generation

Recall 19V-631 covers certain 2020 BMW X7 xDrive40i and X7 M50i vehicles, and also certain 2020 X5 models: the steering rack pinion teeth may break under load, resulting in a loss of steering control. Dealers replace the steering rack. Recall 20V-052 covers certain 2020 X7 xDrive40i and X7 xDrive50i vehicles: the rear reflex reflectors may not reflect adequately; dealers replace both rear reflex reflectors.

Compare

Previous year 2019 BMW X7 Next year 2021 BMW X7 See every BMW X7 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 BMW X7 reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2020 BMW X7 holds 54 complaints after 7 years, a rate of 3 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most X7 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 4. NHTSA has 12 recalls on file, including Starter, Seats, and Sunroof.

What are common problems with a 2020 BMW X7?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (15 of 54), then Engine (13) and Electrical system (12). Those filings include 2 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, and 2 that report an injury.

Is the 2020 BMW X7 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 X7 has 47 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2021 has 46 complaints, 3 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2021.

Has the 2020 BMW X7 been recalled?

The 2020 BMW X7 has 12 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2020 BMW X7?

Owners have filed 54 complaints about the 2020 BMW X7 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 BMW X7 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 BMW X7 is 18.7 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a BMW X7 take?

0W-20 or 0W-30 depending on engine; the B58 six takes about 6.9 quarts, while N63 V8 capacities are higher. Confirm your engine in the owner’s manual.

What does recall 19V-631 cover on the X7?

Certain 2020 X7 xDrive40i and X7 M50i vehicles (and certain 2020 X5 models): steering-related defect—see the NHTSA campaign for the remedy.

What tire sizes does the G07 X7 use?

285/45R21 common; optional staggered 275/40R22 front / 315/35R22 rear.