Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 BMW Z4, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Unknown or other1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2021 BMW Z4 failed the safety check 0.00% of the time — 100% less often than the average 2021 passenger car (0.95%). Median odometer at inspection: 11,351 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2021
6,375 new BMW Z4 cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2021; the largest markets were Germany (4,106), Italy (532), Belgium (425).
- Average mass
- 1,554 kg
- Average CO₂
- 170 g/km (WLTP)
- Average power
- 194 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Petrol 100%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Real-world fuel consumption
1,986 BMW Z4 cars first registered in Europe in 2021 report their fuel use through the on-board meter. Petrol versions use 8.9 l/100 km on the road against 7.5 in the WLTP test (+18%).
| Fuel | Cars | On the road | WLTP | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,986 | 8.9 | 7.5 | +18% |
Litres per 100 km from the cars' own fuel meters (OBFCM), collected in 2024; the year is the year of first registration. All years together · European Environment Agency · CC BY 4.0
Engines
The most common engines in 2021 BMW Z4 cars on Dutch roads are the 3.0 petrol (250 kW, 335 hp), 2.0 petrol (145 kW, 194 hp) and 2.0 petrol (190 kW, 255 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0 petrol | 250 kW 335 hp | 241 |
| 2.0 petrol | 145 kW 194 hp | 159 |
| 2.0 petrol | 190 kW 255 hp | 92 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
495 first registered in 2021 are on Dutch roads; 56% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €76,547.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde58
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld44
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm26
- Band onvoldoende profiel16
- Band beschadigd14
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht11
- Lichtbeeld dimlicht onjuist2
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm2
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
945 cars built in 2021 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 28 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 102 of these cars first registered in 2021 took their annual MOT test. 99% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2021 the figure was 91%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 1.0% | 3.3% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
11 of these cars first registered in 2021 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 27,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
8 2021 cars are on the New Zealand register; 25% arrived as used imports, 75% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 1 variant; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 BMW Z4 C RWD | — | 0.0 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
- Best overall rating
- —
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 1 variant: combined 8.4 L/100 km (about 28 mpg US), CO₂ 197 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Z4 sDrive30i · Two-seater · Premium gasoline | 9.4 | 7.3 | 8.4 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
6 Transport Canada recalls for the 2021 BMW Z4.
| 2026285 9 Jun 2026 | Lights And Instruments Issue: Under certain conditions, the windshield wiping system may not meet certain requirements of Canadian regulations. Safety Risk: This small error do… |
| 2026040 30 Jan 2026 | Engine Issue: On certain vehicles, the engine starter may not have been manufactured properly. As a result, the starter could overheat. Safety Risk: A starter … |
| 2025499 23 Sept 2025 | Electrical Issue: On certain vehicles, water could leak into the starter relay and cause it to corrode. If this happens, the relay could short circuit and the starter co… |
| 2024544 15 Aug 2024 | Label Issue: On certain vehicles, the tire and loading information label does not list that there is no spare tire in both official languages. The label reads as "N… |
| 2021479 3 Aug 2021 | Brakes Issue: On certain vehicles, a software problem could cause the vacuum pump to be damaged during engine starting. If this happens, there could be a loss of bra… |
| 2021448 21 Jul 2021 | Seats And Restraints Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger seat belt assemblies may contain defective automatic locking retractors (ALR). As a result, the seat belts may not p… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What BMW told its dealers about the 2021 BMW Z4: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10250374 | An interference noise (groaning noise) can be heard from within the heating and air-conditioning unit in thecenter of the instrument panel. The groaning noise always occurs when either a ventilation flap, air stratification flap or the recirculated airflap moves to a different position. Due to the complex design of the heating and air-conditioning unit, the kinematics causing it (top or bottom,left or right) may not be able to be precisely located. Depending on the vehicle model, the number of servomotors (and the associated kinematics unit) varies.Various models use either 2 or 3 servomoto |
| 10249437 | The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met. |
| 10249032 | The Central Information Display goes black intermittently due to resets of the Head Unit (HU-H3). FaultB7F8F9 HU-H: Reset will be stored in the HU-H3. |
| 10249027 | The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle discharged battery complaints. |
| 10249018 | At low outside temperatures (below 40 degrees F) and slow driving speeds (i.e. when parking, maneuvering)with a large steering angle, the front end can be slightly axially misaligned. This can be felt (jerking)/ heard via an acoustic acknowledgement (clunk) as seen at the 11 second mark of the video. See attached video V36 01 21. |
| 10249015 | A vehicle arrives at your center to be diagnosed for a micro-leak in the fuel evaporative (EVAP) system(NVLD natural vacuum leak detection). For this condition, the following fault is stored in the DME: 190302 - fuel tank ventilation and scavenging air system, micro-leak: leakage more than 0.5mm For: Model vehicles other that the ones listed above, or for EVAP faults related to a large leak, after confirming that the fuel filler cap is fitted properly, then, proceed to follow the corresponding test plan |
| 10242693 | ?The outer A-pillar trim panel (arrow) protrudes outward (circled) towards the cowl seal. |
| 10239615 | BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective February 9, 2023) on certain Model Year 2022 - 2023 BMW vehicles that were produced between June 29, 2022 and February 16, 2023. |
| 10239611 | Headlight check control (CC) message 128 "High beam headlight failure" is displayed. The following fault codes are stored during a vehicle test: 80419A - Left high-beam headlight: Short circuit and/or 8041A5 - light outputs: Number of permitted short circuit cycles exceeded |
| 10239610 | Condensation is present on the inner surfaces in one or both taillights (circled). |
| 10239602 | A vehicle arrives at your center to be diagnosed for a micro-leak in the fuel evaporative (EVAP) system (NVLD natural vacuum leak detection). For this condition, the following fault is stored in the DME: 190302 - fuel tank ventilation and scavenging air system, micro-leak: leakage more than 0.5 mm. |
| 10239601 | BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop effective June 6, 2023 on certain Model Year 2023 - 2024 BMW vehicles that were produced between October 26, 2022 and May 8, 2023. |
| 10239599 | With the introduction of the BMW Remote Software Upgrade, all Service Pack 18 vehicles and partial Service Pack 15 vehicles may receive new functionality or modifications in their features. |
| 10238093 | BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective February 9, 2023) on certain Model Year 2022 - 2023 BMW vehicles that were produced between June 29, 2022 and February 16, 2023. This was originally called ""Wireless Charging Tray"". Software in potentially affected vehicles may not recognize the removal of the digital key (Key Card or mobile phone) from the wireless charging tray, and thereby not meeting a federal requirement." |
| 10236236 | Issues with the various functions of the camera-based driver assistance systems (KAFAS system) can possibly lead to following customer complaints: KAFAS camera system deactivates itself, due to system restrictions that are not clear to the customer KAFAS camera system cannot be activated due to system restrictions that are not clear to the customer Road signs are sporadically not detected. |
| 10236218 | In hot ambient conditions, if the engine was running for a prolonged time while the vehicle is stationary, a jolt may be experienced while lightly accelerating. |
| 10235206 | Customer is shown an incorrect GPS location in the vehicle (i.e., Nav Map, coordinates). |
| 10235203 | Customer states there is no audio playback (telephony, navigation, radio) and system sounds (PDC, turn indicators, acoustic signals) may also have failed. |
| 10235196 | The gear selector switch (GWS) consists of the control electronics circuit and the selector lever. The sensors for recording the gearshift lever position and for inhibiting inadvertent gearshifts are integrated in the control electronics. |
| 10235180 | When turning the steering wheel while stationary or when driving on uneven roads; cracking, creaking, or knocking noises may be heard. |
| 10233169 | BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective October 25, 2021) on certain Model Year 2022 BMW vehicles that were produced after October 25, 2021. Due to supply chain limitations, certain vehicles were produced without a CID with touch function and and without Reversing Assistant. |
| 10233166 | Due to component-related supply issues, the central information displays (CID) in some of the Model Year 2022 vehicles listed above were produced without the integrated touch screen function. |
| 10233163 | Check control message (CCM) 183 Windscreen wiper malfunction is displayed. |
| 10230740 | Customer is shown an incorrect GPS location in the vehicle (i.e., Nav Map, coordinates). |
| 10230725 | A cracking, metallic noise from under the center of the vehicle. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)