Buying a used 2020 BMW X7? Check these 12 recalls first
A steering gear whose teeth can break heads the list, alongside two starter motor fire recalls carried over from 2019, a front suspension weld that may crack, the brake unit failure, and a loose bolt that can stall the engine. Owner reports to NHTSA — 52, unverified — skew toward power train (14) and engine (13), and include three fires, two crashes and three injuries, the most of any X7 year here.
Before you buy
- Get the 17-character VIN from the seller and run it at nhtsa.gov/recalls. It shows which recalls are still unrepaired on that exact car.
- Get VIN recall status on the steering gear and front suspension weld repairs.
- Verify both starter motor fire recalls and the brake unit recall were performed.
- Drive it long enough to check for stalling or power train roughness.
- Open recalls are repaired free at any BMW dealer, whoever owns the car — an open recall is a to-do item, not a bill.
Recalls covering the 2020 BMW X7
| Recall | Area | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| BMW X5 and X7 steering gear teeth may break | Steering | critical |
| BMW X5, X6, X7 and sedans risk starter motor fire | Electrical System | critical |
| BMW starter motor can overheat and cause a fire | Electrical System | critical |
| BMW X5, X6 and X7 front suspension weld may break | Suspension | high |
| BMW X5, X6, X7 and M cars: brake unit failure | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | high |
| BMW X5 and X7 loose bolt can stall the engine | Power Train | medium |
| BMW backup camera may show partial or blank image | Back Over Prevention | medium |
| BMW X5, X6 and X7 sunroof closes without key | Visibility | medium |
| BMW X7 third-row seat backs may not lock | Seats | medium |
| BMW and Toyota Supra backup camera picture can vanish | Back Over Prevention | low |
| BMW X7 rear reflectors do not reflect enough light | Exterior Lighting | low |
| BMW X5, X6, X7 headlights may shine blue light | Exterior Lighting | low |
What owners have reported to NHTSA
52 complaints filed for this model year, including 2 mentioning a crash, 3 a fire and 3 injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, and popular models collect more of them simply because more are on the road.
| Problem area | Complaints | Recall in this area? |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 16 | None found |
| Power Train | 14 | Yes |
| Electrical System | 11 | Yes |
| Seats | 5 | Yes |
| Suspension | 4 | Yes |
| Steering | 4 | Yes |