2021 BMW Z4 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2021 BMW Z4 holds 1 complaint after 6 years, a rate of 0 per year. Z4 years here cluster close together — the other years’ median is 0 complaints per year. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Starter, Relay, and Engine.

2012 BMW Z4 — Photo by Green Yoshi, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 Z4 has 5 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2022 has 1 complaint, 0 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2022.

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 2021 BMW Z4. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (5)

Recall electrical system, starter 2026-01-30 · NHTSA campaign 26V056000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Toyota Supra, 2022-2023 2 Series Coupe, 2021-2024 5 Series (xDrive), 2021-2022 Z4, 2022-2024 4 Series (Gran Coupe), 2021-2024 4 Series (Convertible and xDrive Convertible), 2021-2023 4 Series (Coupe), 2021-2024 3 Series, 2021-2023 X4, 2021-2024 X3 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of all models. The engine starter may overheat and catch fire due to wear on an internal component.

Remedy Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning March 24, 2026.

Recall electrical system, starter, relay 2025-09-23 · NHTSA campaign 25V636000

Summary 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.

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.

Recall Engine 2021-08-02 · NHTSA campaign 21V598000

Summary 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.

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 Seat belts 2021-07-21 · NHTSA campaign 21V554000

Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 2 Series (230i, 230i xDrive, M240i, M240i xDrive), 330e, 330e Xdrive, 4 Series Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive) M4 Coupe, M4 Competition Coupe, BMW 4 Series Convertible (430i, M440i), BMW X1 sDrive28i, xDrive28i, 2 Series Gran Coupe (228i, 228i xDrive, M235i xDrive), M2 Competition Coupe, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, M3, M3 Competition, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper, CooperS, JCW), X2 sDrive28i, X2 xDrive28i, X2 M35i, Z4 sDrive30i, Z4 M40i, MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper SE), MINI Convertible (Cooper, Cooper S, JCW), MINI Clubman (Cooper S, Cooper S All4, JCW), MINI Countryman (Cooper, Cooper All4, Cooper S, Cooper S All4, JCW All4), Rolls Royce Ghost, MINI Countryman (Cooper S E All4), Rolls Royce Phantom, Rolls Royce Cullinan, and Toyota Supra vehicles. The passenger seat belt Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) may deactivate early, before the webbing fully retracts. As such, these assemblies fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Remedy Dealers will inspect the seat belt retractors (including the seat belts) and, if necessary, replace the retractors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417; 1-866-825-1525 (MINI); 1-877-877-3735 (Rolls Royce); and 1-888-270-9371 (Toyota).

Recall gasoline fuel system, storage, tank 2020-11-12 · NHTSA campaign 20V700000

Summary 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.

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.

Complaints by component (1 total)

No complaints on file with NHTSA for this model year.

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"There is a strong chemical smell when the AC is turned on and the system is loosing refrigerant. There is a common issue on these cars of premature evaporative core corrosion."
Unknown or other · filed 2026-07-30

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2021 BMW Z4 C RWD	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
Z4 M40i	3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	22	30	25 MPG	$3200
Z4 sDrive30i	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	25	32	28 MPG	$2850

Specs and fitment

Tracked generation(s), 2012–present

Body styles Convertible

Oil SAE 0W-20 (N20/G29); SAE 0W-30 (E89 N55 sDrive35is; confirm under-hood label)

Tire size 225/35R19–225/45R18 (E89/G29; trim-dependent), 255/30R19–255/40R18 (staggered packages) front / 255/30R19–275/40R18 (trim-dependent; staggered on M Sport / sDrive35is) rear

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA complaints and recalls for BMW Z4 vehicles in the tracked years include air-bag, braking (vacuum pump lubrication campaigns such as 13V-454 on related N20 engines), lighting, and electrical themes shared across BMW 3/4/5/7/M lines. Confirm each campaign by VIN; many unit totals span multiple BMW models.

Compare

Previous year 2020 BMW Z4 See every BMW Z4 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 BMW Z4 reliable?

Is the 2021 BMW Z4 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 Z4 has 5 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2022 has 1 complaint, 0 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 BMW Z4 been recalled?

The 2021 BMW Z4 has 5 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 2021 BMW Z4?

Owners have filed 1 complaint about the 2021 BMW Z4 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 BMW Z4 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 BMW Z4 is 26.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a US BMW Z4 use?

SAE 0W-20 (N20/G29); SAE 0W-30 (E89 N55 sDrive35is; confirm under-hood label)

What tire sizes fit a US BMW Z4?

Published US specs commonly list front 225/35R19–225/45R18 (E89/G29; trim-dependent), 255/30R19–255/40R18 (staggered packages) and rear 255/30R19–275/40R18 (trim-dependent; staggered on M Sport / sDrive35is); confirm on the door jamb placard for your trim.

What NHTSA recalls affect the US BMW Z4?