2016 BMW Z4 problems

• N20B20 156 hp (115 kW, 2013-2016)

  156 hp · N20B20

  It shares with the rest of the N20 family the risk of wear to the timing chain guides and tensioner on units built before 2015.^[2]

  With caution

• N20B20B 184 hp (135 kW, 2011-2017)

  184 hp · N20B20, N20B20B

  It shares with the rest of the N20 family the risk of wear to the timing chain guides and tensioner on units built before 2015.^[2]

  With caution

• N20B20A 245 hp (180 kW, 2011-2017)

  245 hp · N20B20, N20B20A

  It shares with the rest of the N20 family the risk of wear to the timing chain guides and tensioner on units built before 2015.^[2]

  With caution

Faults that affect 2016 cars

• Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalCoolingElectric water pump failure (BMW campaign in the US over fire risk)The N20 has an electric water pump whose connector can suffer ingress of blow-by liquid; a short circuit can cause local overheating and, very rarely, a fire. BMW recalled 720,000 vehicles in the US in 2024, not including the European Union or Spain.
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonLubricationOil leaks from the rocker cover gasket and the filter housingYes: with the years and heat cycles, the rocker cover gasket and the oil filter housing or cooler gasket on the N20 start to weep oil; it is not an acute defect but expected wear that is worth watching before the oil level drops too low.
• Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalTurboWastegate noise and plastic charge pipe breakageThe N20's single TwinScroll turbo is not, in itself, a frequent point of failure, but over the years wastegate noise or rattle and a loss of pressure can appear, and the plastic pipe that carries air from the turbo to the intercooler can crack, especially with poor maintenance or on modified engines.
• Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalInjectionHigh-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failureThe high-pressure pump that feeds the N20's direct injection (High Precision Injection) can fail, especially on high-mileage units, leaving the car with hard starting, jerking or, in the worst case, unable to start.

• N55B30M0 302 hp (2009-2018)

  302 hp · N55B30M0

  Simpler than the N54 (one turbo and solenoid injectors), but it keeps the oil leaks from the filter housing and the electric water pump; check both.^[5][6][7]

  With caution

• N55B30 315 hp (2011-2018)

  315 hp · N55B30

  Simpler than the N54 (one turbo and solenoid injectors), but it keeps the oil leaks from the filter housing and the electric water pump; check both.^[5][6][7]

  With caution

• N55B30O0 322 hp (2014-2016)

  322 hp · N55B30O0

  Simpler than the N54 (one turbo and solenoid injectors), but it keeps the oil leaks from the filter housing and the electric water pump; check both.^[5][6][7]

  With caution

Faults that affect 2016 cars

• Medium severityFrequency: CommonTurboTurbo wastegate noise and failureOn the N54 the wastegate rods work loose and produce a metallic rattle; over time they reduce boost pressure. On the N55 it is the electric actuator that fails.
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonCoolingElectric water pump and thermostat failureThe electric water pump on the N54 and N55 fails without warning, at around 100,000-150,000 km, and is usually replaced together with the thermostat. If not dealt with, the engine overheats.
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonLubricationOil leak from the oil filter housing gasketThe oil filter housing gasket on the N54 and N55 leaks oil as it ages; the oil can drip onto the auxiliary drive belt, and there are also leaks from the valve cover.

• Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalBodywork and interiorRetractable hardtop sensor, actuator and motor failureAccording to the reports collected by fiches-auto.fr, the retractable hardtop on the Z4 E89 can become temperamental: sensors, actuators or motors fail and the roof gets stuck or does not close, with cases at 84,000 and 147,000 km.
• Low severityFrequency: RareElectronics and infotainmentComfort Access and door handle failureAccording to the reports collected by fiches-auto.fr, on the Z4 E89 the Comfort Access handle or antenna can stop communicating with the car, and in some cases the sat nav screen does not fold away.
• Low severityFrequency: RareElectrical systemErratic operation of the frameless window regulatorsAccording to the reports collected by fiches-auto.fr, the frameless window regulators on the Z4 E89 can work erratically, with a risk of water getting in on a convertible.