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2020 BMW 4 Series

Gas

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

Safety Signal

92 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 1

Complaints1 crash · 3 injured reported 5

Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 27 mpg

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

The 2020 BMW 4 Series is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact sedan with 15 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the 430i Convertible, is EPA-rated at 27 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 5 complaints, most often about the service brakes.

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*
430i Convertible	Gas	RWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	23	34	27	$3,050
430i Coupe	Gas	RWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	23	34	27	$3,050
430i Gran Coupe	Gas	RWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	23	34	27	$3,050
430i xDrive Convertible	Gas	AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	22	32	26	$3,150
430i Coupe	Gas	RWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	21	33	25	$3,300
440i Coupe	Gas	RWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	22	30	25	$3,300
440i Gran Coupe	Gas	RWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	22	30	25	$3,300
440i xDrive Coupe	Gas	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	22	30	25	$3,300
440i xDrive Gran Coupe	Gas	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	22	30	25	$3,300
430i xDrive Coupe	Gas	AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	21	31	24	$3,400
430i xDrive Gran Coupe	Gas	AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	21	31	24	$3,400
440i Convertible	Gas	RWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	22	29	24	$3,400
440i xDrive Convertible	Gas	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	20	28	23	$3,550
440i Coupe	Gas	RWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	19	27	22	$3,750
440i xDrive Coupe	Gas	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	18	28	21	$3,900

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 41325, 41342, 41345, 41326, 41343, 41347, 41351, 41349, 41352, 41344.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
430i Convertible, 430i Coupe, 430i Gran Coupe, 430i xDrive Convertible, 430i xDrive Coupe, 430i xDrive Gran Coupe	7 / 10	California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
440i Convertible, 440i Coupe, 440i Gran Coupe, 440i xDrive Convertible, 440i xDrive Coupe, 440i xDrive Gran Coupe	3 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV125 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125	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

248 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	4 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain	AWD/All-Wheel Drive
Transmission	Automatic
Transmission speeds	8

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking

Optional: Adaptive cruise control, Blind-spot monitoring, Parking assist

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	3,706–4,330 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	48/52 to 52/48

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 7 configurations: 430I xDrive 2-door Cabriolet, 430I xDrive 2-door Coupe, 440I 2-door Coupe RWD, 440I xDrive 2-door Cabriolet, 440I xDrive 2-door Coupe, Gran Coupe 430I xDrive 4-door Sedan …. 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

▲high

Air Bags

5,079 vehicles 99% reported repaired built Feb 21, 2019 – May 2, 2019

Problem BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 230i, 230i xDrive, M240i, M240i xDrive, M2 Competition Coupe, 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive, M4, and 2019 330i xDrive Sportswagon vehicles. The driver and passenger knee air bag assemblies may have been improperly folded and assembled. Risk An improperly folded and assembled air bag may not deploy as intended, increasing risk of injury. Fix BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the knee air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began July 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 19V352000 reported May 9, 2019 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.

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 2020 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 2020 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

5complaints filed

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

4.9 per 10,000 built · BMW reported 10,249 4 Series built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2022: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 2

Most-cited components

Service Brakes 1

Engine 1

Air Bags 1

Unspecified 1

Structure 1

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.

BMW SIB 51 33 16 (NHTSA ID 10200233) Manufacturer defect resulting in water slowly backing up into trunk and other parts of car until it completely fills side panels, floor of car, ect. There is no indication this is occurring.

Structure Jun 9, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11742959

I owned a 2020 BMW 430i (VIN: ) manufactured in March 2019 at the Regensburg plant. This vehicle matches the exact criteria of NHTSA Recall 19V-352 for defective knee airbags that may fail to deploy in an accident. I was involved in a serious crash on , and the airbags did not deploy.

Air Bags Jul 28, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11676556

The contact owns a 2020 BMW 430I. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the low coolant warning light was illuminated, and the message "Engine Overheating" was displayed. The vehicle was parked at the place of employment. The coolant level was checked an hour later by the contact’s husband, and the coolant level was low.

Engine at 66,475 miles Apr 14, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11654427

The contact owns a 2020 BMW 430i. The contact stated while his wife was driving below 10 MPH and depressing on the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to stop as needed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated.

Service Brakes at 86,000 miles Jan 13, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11447381

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: 2 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 2 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 20 per 100,000 built. Every 4 Series model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

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 5 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 1390900300For this vehicle, the EVAP systems purge (vent) valve limited warranty for defects in materials or workmanship has been extended to 15 years/150,000 miles, from the original 10 years/120,000 miles…
Term not in NHTSA’s summary · BMW warranty extension 85800210NAAfter carrying out the vehicle test, one or more of the stored faults indicate that the operation of the front bottom active air flap is obstructed or blocked.
Term not in NHTSA’s summary · BMW warranty extension 8410900300The Telematics Control Units (TCU) Internal Emergency (Backup) Battery for defects in materials and/or workmanship has been extended to 6 years without mileage limitation, as determined from the…
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 138

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-03

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 129 service bulletins, 7 warranty extensions, 1 other

Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Engine, Structure, Seats.

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.
B840226 Service campaign
2026-07-10 · Electrical System
Once the Telematics Module (TCB2) enters sleep mode, a BMW Data Services trigger for Remote Services(remote engine start, lock/unlock/climate conditioning) will not be able to reactivate the TCB2. Due to this issue, Remote Services will not function in the vehicle when parked and locked.
B010224 Warranty extension
2026-06-26 · Engine
The EVAP systems purge (vent) valve limited warranty for defects in materials and / or workmanship has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles as determined from the original first in-service / delivery date.
B010224 Warranty extension
2026-05-05 · Engine
The EVAP systems purge (vent) valve limited warranty for defects in materials or workmanship has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles as determined from the original in-service date.
B410725 Service bulletin
2025-08-20 · Structure — Body
While driving on a smooth and/or uneven road, a “cracking” sound is heard from the rear wheel arch area (highlighted in orange) on either the right or left side.
B511223 Warranty extension
2025-07-02 · Structure — Body
After carrying out the vehicle test, one or more of the stored faults indicate that the operation of the front bottom active air flap is obstructed or blocked.
B270220 Service bulletin
2025-03-27 · Power Train
There is a jerking or shuddering during either or both of the following: Cornering or accelerating from low speeds Driving with low to medium loads There are no warning lights or Check Control messages.
B062525 Other
2025-03-26 · Engine
Bearing Shell Return

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.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 2.0%

failed emissions

555 initial inspections of 543 vehicles.

Measure	The 2020 4 Series	Every 2020 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	2.0%	2.2%	555
Failed the safety inspection	1.4%	1.6%	555
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0%	0.19%	555
Miles driven a year	7,221	9,980	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	45,550	62,630	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 2020 vehicle” is every 2020 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 this page A 1 5 27 mpg 2019 C 3 27 27 mpg 2018 A 1 43 27 mpg 2017 B 2 30 27 mpg 2016 B 1 56 27 mpg

Common questions about the 2020 4 Series

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2020 BMW 4 Series have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2020 BMW 4 Series. The most serious on file is 19V352000, covering Air Bags. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2020 BMW 4 Series?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2020 BMW 4 Series yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it A (92/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2020 BMW 4 Series?

Across the 15 EPA-rated configurations of the 2020 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 2020 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: 3,706–4,330 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 2020 BMW 4 Series?

Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 BMW 4 Series, most often about service brakes, engine, air bags. Of those, 1 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 2020 BMW 4 Series?

The EPA smog rating for the 2020 BMW 4 Series runs 3 to 7 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 — California LEV-III SULEV30, California LEV-III ULEV125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2020 BMW 4 Series?

The manufacturer has filed 138 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2020 BMW 4 Series, most often covering electrical system, equipment, 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 2020 BMW 4 Series do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2020 BMW 4 Series failed the emissions check on 2.0% of first inspections — close to the 2.2% for every 2020 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.4% (every 2020 vehicle: 1.6%). 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	5	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	138	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
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	12 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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