2020 BMW 7 Series
Plug-in hybrid Gas Large car
The 2020 BMW 7 Series is sold in the U.S. as a plug-in hybrid and gas large car with 5 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the 740i, is EPA-rated at 24 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, 2 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 5 complaints, most often about electrical system.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Range | kWh/100mi | Charge (240V) | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 745e xDrive | Plug-in hybrid | AWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo + 83 kW AC Induction | 19 | 26 | 22 (28 MPGe blended) | 16 mi electric | 61 | 4 h | $3,500 |
| 740i | Gas | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 22 | 29 | 24 | — | — | — | $3,250 |
| 740i xDrive | Gas | AWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 20 | 28 | 23 | — | — | — | $3,350 |
| 750i xDrive | Gas | AWD | 4.4L 8-cyl turbo | 17 | 25 | 20 | — | — | — | $3,900 |
| Alpina B7 | Gas | AWD | 4.4L 8-cyl turbo | 17 | 25 | 20 | — | — | — | $3,900 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
Out of factory warranty soon?
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Recalls (4)
Electrical System
criticalProblem: 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.
Risk: A starter motor that overheats can ignite nearby combustible material in the engine compartment, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
Back Over Prevention
minorProblem: 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 43
Risk: If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the missing or reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: 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.
Seat Belts
highProblem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 BMW 745e xDrive vehicles. A software error in the electronic control unit (ECU) may disable the audible warning signal for an unbelted driver to fasten their seat belt. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: Without an audible warning, the driver may forget to buckle the seat belt, increasing their risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the ECU software, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Fuel System, Other
criticalProblem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 750i xDrive, 2019 M850i xDrive Coupe, M850i xDrive Convertible, X5 xDrive50i, X7 xDrive50i, and M5 vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may not have been properly attached to the engine, which may cause the fuel pump flange to crack, resulting in a fuel leak.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pumps, free of charge. The recall began August 27, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA investigations
Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds (closed)
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005
Owner complaints
5 complaints filed
0 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 1 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2023: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 2
Most-cited components
- Electrical System — 2
- Structure — 1
- Unknown Or Other — 1
- Engine And Engine Cooling — 1
- Steering — 1
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.
Crash ratings
NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.
Other 7 Series model years
2027 7 Series
0 recalls · 0 complaints
A2026 7 Series
1 recalls · 0 complaints
F2025 7 Series
5 recalls · 2 complaints
F2024 7 Series
6 recalls · 6 complaints
F2023 7 Series
11 recalls · 22 complaints
B2022 7 Series
1 recalls · 0 complaints
B2021 7 Series
2 recalls · 3 complaints
A2019 7 Series
1 recalls · 5 complaints
A2018 7 Series
0 recalls · 7 complaints
A2017 7 Series
0 recalls · 12 complaints
A2016 7 Series
0 recalls · 20 complaints
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). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 41373, 41358, 41359, 41360, 41743). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.