Defect Summary: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 340I, X6, 2020-2025 840I, 2020-2022 740LI, 2019-2020 X7, and X5 vehicles. After repeated attempts, the starter motor may overheat from an electrical overload.
The 2020 BMW 8 Series is associated with 4 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 6 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE, accounting for 1 reports (25% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 9 certified vehicle configurations spanning 3l 6-cyl and 4.4l 8-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 20 to 25 MPG combined. Detailed NHTSA crash-test ratings are not available in the current AutoUtility dataset for this model year.
- • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 4 reports
- • Safety Recall Campaigns: 6 campaigns
- • Top Reported Defect Area: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE (1 / 25%)
- • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: Not rated by NHTSA
- • EPA Efficiency: 20–25 MPG (9 variants)
What is the fuel economy and range of the 2020 BMW 8 Series?
Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant
| Variant | Engine | Drivetrain | Transmission | City | Highway | Combined | EV Range | Est. Annual Fuel Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 840i Coupe | 3L 6-Cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 23 MPG | 30 MPG | 25 MPG | — | $3,050 / yr |
| 840i Convertible | 3L 6-Cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 22 MPG | 29 MPG | 24 MPG | — | $3,150 / yr |
| 840i Gran Coupe | 3L 6-Cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 22 MPG | 29 MPG | 24 MPG | — | $3,150 / yr |
| 840i xDrive Coupe | 3L 6-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 21 MPG | 27 MPG | 23 MPG | — | $3,300 / yr |
| 840i xDrive Convertible | 3L 6-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 20 MPG | 27 MPG | 23 MPG | — | $3,300 / yr |
| 840i xDrive Gran Coupe | 3L 6-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 20 MPG | 27 MPG | 23 MPG | — | $3,300 / yr |
| M850i xDrive Coupe | 4.4L 8-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 18 MPG | 25 MPG | 20 MPG | — | $3,800 / yr |
| M850i xDrive Convertible | 4.4L 8-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 17 MPG | 25 MPG | 20 MPG | — | $3,800 / yr |
| M850i xDrive Gran Coupe | 4.4L 8-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 17 MPG | 25 MPG | 20 MPG | — | $3,800 / yr |
What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2020 BMW 8 Series?
Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
| Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant | Overall Rating | Frontal Crash | Side Crash | Rollover Rating | Rollover Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C AWD | — | ||||
| 2 DR AWD | — | ||||
| Gran 4 DR AWD | — | ||||
| C RWD | — | ||||
| 2 DR RWD | — | ||||
| Gran 4 DR RWD | — |
No and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as No in official NHTSA records for tested 2020 BMW 8 Series models.
What defect complaints are reported for the 2020 BMW 8 Series?
Summary of 4 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)
Top Reported Problem Categories
Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA
Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.
View all 2020 BMW 8 Series problems & component breakdown (4 categories) →Are there open safety recalls on the 2020 BMW 8 Series?
Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA
Defect Summary: 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.
Defect Summary: 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 430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive vehicles. When shifting into Reverse, a small portion of the rearview image may be obscured, or the screen may not illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
- NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
- U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.