BMWZ42026Overview/bmw/z4/2026/base/

2026 BMW Z4

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2026 Z4.

Transmission Automatic (S8)

The 2026 BMW Z4 is a two-seat convertible sports car built on a rear-wheel-drive platform, paired with a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission and delivering EPA-estimated fuel economy of 23 mpg in the city, 29 mpg on the highway, and 25 mpg combined, placing it squarely in the competitive landscape of its segment; this model year arrives with an exceptional reliability profile, as the nameplate has reached its lowest complaint level in over two decades—just one owner complaint recorded in 2022 compared to 414 in 2003—while currently showing zero open recalls, suggesting meaningful improvements in build quality and customer satisfaction over the Z4's 2002-2023 model history.

Model year202620252024202320222021202020192016

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

EPA fuel economy23/29/25 mpgEPA · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S8)

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined23 / 29 / 25 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelPremium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Z4 of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

3.5–5.2 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 3.50 sec — 2023 M40i Roadster
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2025M40i Roadster (Shadowline) 3.0L Turbo I-63.90 sec12.40 sec382 hpRWD
2025M40i Roadster (Shadowline) 3.0L Turbo I-64.10 sec12.60 sec382 hpRWD
2023M40i Roadster 3.0L Turbo I-63.50 sec12.00 sec382 hpRWD
2020M40i Roadster 3.0L Turbo I-63.80 sec12.30 sec382 hpRWD
2020M40i Roadster 3.0L Turbo I-63.90 sec12.30 sec382 hpRWD
2020M40i Roadster 3.0L Turbo I-63.90 sec12.40 sec382 hpRWD
2019sDrive30i Roadster (M Sport) 2.0L Turbo I-45.10 sec13.80 sec255 hpRWD
2019sDrive30i Roadster (M Sport) 2.0L Turbo I-45.20 sec13.80 sec255 hpRWD

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The provided federal record does not include a 2026 row in its year-by-year table, so direct comparison of total complaints, recalls, investigations, and TSBs against adjacent years is not possible from this dataset. What the target-year fields do show is minimal activity: one top complaint area listed as “Steering, Power Train, Service Brakes” with a count of 1, and zero crash or fire complaints. Against the modern-year sequence in the record, the trajectory from 2019 through 2023 is downward on every measure—complaints fell from 5 to 0, recalls from 6 to 2, and TSBs from 242 to 36—so the 2026 indicators appear consistent with the low-complaint tail end of that arc. Because the full 2026 counts are absent, we cannot confirm whether recalls and TSBs also stayed low, but the available data place it in the quieter portion of the trend. The data does not specify a root cause for the single reported complaint, so no underlying defect can be inferred. Bottom line: based only on the numbers given, the 2026 Z4 looks like a low-risk year with no reported fire or crash complaints, making it a reasonable used-buy candidate provided a pre-purchase inspection checks the steering, powertrain, and brake systems referenced in the lone complaint.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
3
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
1
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.

Steering,Power Train,Service Brakes1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 3 of 3 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
B5106262026-04-23StructureWhile driving on rough surfaces, a “tapping” noise can be heard from the tailgate area
B6103242026-04-09Electrical SystemGen 5 BEV/PHEV vehicles may set the Combined Charging Unit (CCU) in programming abort due…
B1214252025-12-01SteeringIn certain driving situations there can be a loss of traction or wheel slip followed by a…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Z4. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

Does the 2026 Z4 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Z4 get?

EPA figures are 23 city / 29 highway / 25 combined mpg.