Suspension, electrical system and powertrain issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
The 2020 BMW X7 is designed as a Sports Activity Vehicle designed to provide plenty of performance. In fact, the automaker claims it can “make every day legendary.” However, the only legendary aspect is the faults owners are dealing with from the powertrain to the structure and the electrical system to the suspension.
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The potent powertrain in the X7 is meant to provide lots of excitement. However, there are some complaints and issues that need to be addressed.
One Edmunds review warns people, “don’t buy it if you’re gonna drive Eco.”
With that said, there’s something more important to pay attention to. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V465000 talks about how some models might have an extra bolt in the starter motor that can fall into the transmission and lead to massive problems. It appears that BMW was so focused on making this model “legendary, that it threw in an extra bolt for good measure.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Electrical System | |
| Engine | |
| Power Train | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Steering | |
| Structure:body | |
| Air Bags | |
| Back Over Prevention: Rearview System Braking | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking |
For the price paid on the X7, it is only expected that the structure will be well-built and designed to last. Yet, that’s not what existing customers say.
A Cars.com review states, “one week after we purchased it, my wife was driving it on I-97 in Maryland on a sunny/hot day and the panoramic sunroof shattered (nothing hit the car).”
Aside from this, there are lighting issues that can’t be overlooked. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V052000 shows that the rear reflex reflectors don’t produce enough reflection, which can decrease on-road visibility. The vehicle is so “legendary,” it doesn’t want to be seen at night. However, it’s impossible to hide a legend.
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For a luxury model, the electrical system is another part that is not up to par. This faulty system is leaving a lot to be desired.
Another Edmunds review states, “Front passenger side power window module broke. Window won’t close and had to drive in extreme cold temp with window down. Remote car app stopped working, had to re- activate acct in car.”
Is there a recall dealing with electrical system problems? Yep – as with everything else. NHTSA Campaign Number 19V684000 says that some vehicles have a malfunctioning back-up camera that doesn’t display the right image. This can occur in more than 250,000 models and might lead to an accident. Maybe it’s only meant to be a legend when moving forward.
Finally, looking at the suspension system shows more faults that need to be addressed.
Here is an Edmunds complaint. “The stupid suspension thing is slow and just for show, the car will revert back to whatever level the modes tell them to.”
Working in conjunction with the suspension system is the steering. NHTSA Campaign Number 19V631000 talks about how some X7 models have steering rack pinion teeth that could break while under a load. If this happens, the driver could lose control over the SAV, which could lead to an accident. Maybe this model should change its tagline to “make every day dangerous” instead.
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes BMW pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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My BMW X-7 2020 has only 12, 347miles since new, and so far, I have taken to service three times to a related battery electrical issue and yesterday March 8th 2022, after picking it up from the dealer’s service department for the same issue that they claimed it was fixed previously, they claimed in writing that by replacing a defective battery the problem was resolved and that now it was working as designed; the very same evening my family and I went out to dinner and the vehicle stalled and stop working , leaving me ,my wife and our two daughters stranded in the middle of the HWY were cars where passing fast and with no lights , exposing ourselves to a terrible accident, a really scary night! The car was picked up by a tow truck at aprox.9pm and taken to the BMW dealer Vista BMW of Coconut Creek 4401 Sample Road, FL.33073 They contacted us this morning and said they are working on the vehicle to fix it, but we do not feel safe any longer with the x-7 after what happened last night.
What should I do?