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2016 BMW 4 Series

Gas

Compact Cars
15 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

85 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

Recalls1 critical 1

Complaints2 crash · 3 injured reported 56

Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 27 mpg

2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2016 BMW 4 Series is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact sedan with 15 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the 428i Convertible, is EPA-rated at 27 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 56 complaints, most often about the engine.

BMW 4 Series — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — BMW 4 Series · Photo: FotoSleuth · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
428i Convertible	Gas	RWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	23	34	27	$3,050
428i Coupe	Gas	RWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	23	35	27	$3,050
428i Gran Coupe	Gas	RWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	23	34	27	$3,050
428i Coupe	Gas	RWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	22	33	26	$3,150
428i xDrive Coupe	Gas	AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	22	33	26	$3,150
428i xDrive Gran Coupe	Gas	AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	22	33	26	$3,150
428i xDrive Convertible	Gas	AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	21	32	25	$3,300
435i Coupe	Gas	RWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	20	30	24	$3,400
435i Gran Coupe	Gas	RWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	20	30	24	$3,400
435i Convertible	Gas	RWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	20	30	23	$3,550
435i Coupe	Gas	RWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	20	29	23	$3,550
435i xDrive Convertible	Gas	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	20	29	23	$3,550
435i xDrive Coupe	Gas	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	20	30	23	$3,550
435i xDrive Gran Coupe	Gas	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	20	30	23	$3,550
435i xDrive Coupe	Gas	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	19	28	22	$3,750

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36714, 36794, 36727, 36653, 36654, 36655, 36644, 36656, 36658, 36204.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
428i Convertible, 428i xDrive Convertible, 428i xDrive Coupe, 428i xDrive Gran Coupe	5–8 / 10	Bin 5 / LEV-II SULEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
428i Coupe, 428i Gran Coupe	5–8 / 10	Bin 5 / LEV-II ULEV125 / LEV-II SULEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
428i Coupe, 435i Convertible, 435i Coupe, 435i Gran Coupe, 435i xDrive Convertible, 435i xDrive Coupe, 435i xDrive Gran Coupe	5–6 / 10	Bin 5 / LEV-II ULEV125	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Coupe
Doors	2
GVWR class	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	4
Displacement	2 L

Engine Output

Horsepower

241 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Transmission

Drivetrain

AWD/All-Wheel Drive

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: 4-series, xDrive). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	182.7 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	72.0 in
Height	54.3–54.7 in
Wheelbase	110.6 in
Track, front	61.0 in
Track, rear	62.6 in
Curb weight	3,419–4,270 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	49/51 to 50/50

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 12 configurations: 428I 2-door Cabriolet RWD, 428I 2-door Coupe RWD, 428I xDrive 2-door Cabriolet AWD, 428I xDrive 2-door Coupe AWD, 435I 2-door Cabriolet RWD, 435I 2-door Coupe RWD …. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

!critical

Engine And Engine Cooling

720,796 vehicles 39% reported repaired

Problem BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2012-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 2012-2016 Z4 sDrive28i, 528i, 528i xDrive, 328i, 328xi, 2016-2018 X5 xdrive 40e, 2014-2016 228i, 228xi, 428i, 428i xDrive, 328xi Gran Turismo, 2013-2017 X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, 2015-2018 X4 xDrive28i, 2015-2016 428xi vehicles. An improperly sealed electrical connector on the water pump may be exposed to water and short circuit. Risk An electrical short increases the risk of a fire. Fix Dealers will inspect and replace the water pump and plug connector as necessary, and install a protective shield, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2025. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF

NHTSA campaign 24V608000 reported Aug 13, 2024 BMW of North America, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

NHTSA defect investigations

Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module — Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture open

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf. Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a subst

Opened Sep 17, 2021 · action EA21002 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific 4 Series

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2016 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. BMW publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →BMW’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2016 BMW 4 Series, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

56complaints filed

2 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 3 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2016: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2020: 6 · 2021: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 9 · 2025: 20 · 2026: 3

Most-cited components

Engine 26

Electrical System 24

Unspecified 8

Structure 3

Service Brakes 3

Visibility/Wiper 3

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

The contact owns a 2016 BMW 428I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.

Engine Feb 24, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11644528

Several times the drivers door will not open when the vehicle is in park and the engine is turned off. When I took the car to passport Bmw in suitland maryland on 7/10 to repair the front brake I mention this problem of the door locking me inside the vehicle and I cannot get out.

Structure at 57,000 miles Jul 10, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11338577

While driving on the highway during rain I went to pass a car and pushed the gas pedal and the car seemed to spin out a little and then the engine lost most of its power and started to sputter and gargle as if it was going to stall out. The warning for power train failure came on. Very dangerous on a freeway of speeds up to 60+.

Power Train at 34,000 miles Apr 9, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11320630

I am submitting a safety complaint regarding my 2016 BMW 435i. My vehicle experienced a sudden water pump failure while I was driving on the freeway. Without warning, the vehicle immediately entered “limp mode,” causing a sudden and dangerous loss of power in active traffic.

Back Over Prevention May 15, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11738183

The contact owns a 2016 BMW 428I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted.

Electrical System Mar 6, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11646714

The contact owns a 2016 BMW 435I. The contact stated while driving at slow speeds, the chassis stabilization warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the electric power steering (EPS) to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.

Steering at 70,000 miles Jan 27, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11503962

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by BMW itself: 11 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 13 injured, as claimed, not verified. Every 4 Series model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 33k

miles, typically

Half the 18 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 24,000 and 57,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.

Too few readings for a curve — the 18 on file: 3 10k–20k, 4 20k–30k, 5 30k–40k, 1 40k–50k, 1 50k–60k, 1 70k–80k, 1 80k–90k, 2 100k–150k.

Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Extended coverage on file 4 filings by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

15 years or 150,000 miles · BMW warranty extension 5135900100The coverage period for qualifying lower rear side panel water drain repair that addresses the issues described in the Service Information Bulletin has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles, as…
15 years or 150,000 miles · BMW warranty extension 1611900300Fuel tank limited warranty for leakage, due to defects in materials or workmanship, has been extended to 15 years/150,000 miles as determined from the original in-service date
15 years or 150,000 miles · BMW warranty extension 001611900300Fuel tank limited warranty for leakage, due to defects in materials or workmanship, has been extended to 15 years/150,000 miles as determined from the original in-service date
15 years or 150,000 miles · BMW bulletin B011423Pressure control valve (PCV) extended LTD WTY 15 YEARS/150,000 miles

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every BMW warranty extension (46) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 685

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-03

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 681 service bulletins, 4 warranty extensions

Most often about: Equipment, Electrical System, Engine, Structure, Equipment Adaptive/Mobility.

B010826 Warranty extension
2026-09-03 · Structure — Body
The coverage period for qualifying lower rear side panel water drain repair that addresses the issues described in the Service Information Bulletin has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles, as determined from the original first in-service / delivery date.
B010722 Warranty extension
2024-10-25 · Fuel/Propulsion System
Fuel tank limited warranty for leakage, due to defects in materials or workmanship, has been extended to 15 years/150,000 miles as determined from the original in-service date
B010322 Warranty extension
2024-10-25 · Fuel/Propulsion System
Fuel tank limited warranty for leakage, due to defects in materials or workmanship, has been extended to 15 years/150,000 miles as determined from the original in-service date
B510819 Service bulletin
2024-01-16 · Electrical System
The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
B611305 Service bulletin
2024-01-11 · Electrical System
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.
B011423 Service bulletin
2023-11-13 · Engine And Engine Cooling
PRESSURE CONTROL VALVE (PCV) EXTENDED LTD WTY 15 YEARS/150,000 MILES
B513218 Service bulletin
2023-11-08 · Structure
The paint finish on the door jamb (above the door striker) is scratched due to the inner door cavity window seal.
B520121 Service bulletin
2023-08-01 · Seats
?The front seat will not calibrate/initialize, and the stored faults cannot be deleted.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
U019F	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	1 owner report

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 4.9%

failed emissions

1,000 initial inspections of 972 vehicles.

Measure	The 2016 4 Series	Every 2016 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	4.9%	4.2%	993
Failed the safety inspection	0.70%	2.2%	1,000
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.60%	0.27%	1,000
Miles driven a year	8,210	10,028	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	84,247	103,109	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2016 vehicle” is every 2016 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

4 Series by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2027 A 0 0 31 mpg 2026 B 1 2 31 mpg 2025 B 1 8 31 mpg 2024 C 2 3 28 mpg 2023 C 3 6 28 mpg 2022 D 5 8 Park outside 2021 F 6 15 Park outside 2020 A 1 5 27 mpg 2019 C 3 27 27 mpg 2018 A 1 43 27 mpg 2017 B 2 30 27 mpg 2016 this page B 1 56 27 mpg

Common questions about the 2016 4 Series

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2016 BMW 4 Series have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2016 BMW 4 Series, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 24V608000, covering Engine And Engine Cooling. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2016 BMW 4 Series?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2016 BMW 4 Series yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it B (85/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2016 BMW 4 Series?

Across the 15 EPA-rated configurations of the 2016 BMW 4 Series, the best EPA combined figure is 27 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2016 BMW 4 Series?

Transport Canada measured it at 182.7 in long, 72.0 in wide (body, without mirrors), 54.3–54.7 in tall, on a 110.6 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,419–4,270 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2016 BMW 4 Series?

Owners have filed 56 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 BMW 4 Series, most often about engine, electrical system, unspecified. Of those, 2 involved a crash, 3 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2016 BMW 4 Series?

The EPA smog rating for the 2016 BMW 4 Series runs 5 to 8 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — Bin 5, LEV-II SULEV, LEV-II ULEV125 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2016 BMW 4 Series?

The manufacturer has filed 685 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2016 BMW 4 Series, most often covering equipment, electrical system, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-09-03. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2016 BMW 4 Series do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2016 BMW 4 Series failed the emissions check on 4.9% of first inspections — close to the 4.2% for every 2016 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.70% (every 2016 vehicle: 2.2%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	15 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	15 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	1	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	56	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	none	NHTSA NCAP	NHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe.
Service bulletins	685	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	1	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	8 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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