Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA
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Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2020 BMW X7 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
My X7’s front differential went bad at 50k miles. I paid over 100k for a vehicle of this caliber to have something like this fail and have to pay 8k with no help from BMWNA. I’ve been a loyal customer with bmw having owned over 5 bmw vehicles in the past. And for me to get treated like this is unacceptable. I hope we can have a law suit against bmw for this.
The transfer case on my 2020 BMW X7 failed and had to be replaced. Turning the vehicle became unstable as the vehicle shuttered badly. BMW confirmed the shuttering and first changed the transfer case fluid. However, it only slightly helped at first but the shuttering came fully back shortly thereafter. The vehicle was inspected by BMW twice. I don’t remember any warning lights on the dash. The shuttering first occurred in 2024.
Transfer case broke and struck the engine while driving.
Hello , I would like to report a failed front differential on my vehicle. This issue was diagnosed by an independent BMW shop and is currently being repaired. Mine made it to 69k miles but many others have had theirs failed before 50k miles. My main goal is to bring light to this issue since it seems to be a design flaw. There's also numerous reports for failed transfer cases since they aren't normally serviced by BMW dealers. I've attached both repair invoices.
My front differential has failed and my vehicle has 62,000 miles. There is no recommended service and maintenance schedule for replacing fluids for the front differential so I thinking that this failure is due to an engineering design flaw including no recommended schedule to service the unit. It also seems this component may be too small/weak for the engine output. I has seem this failure reported on many blobs and users groups and seems to be recurring issue that BMW turns a blind side to. They ask why an extended warranty was not purchased and seeing that this is a recurring problem I am asking for a possible recall to force BMW to pay or reimburse others for repairs.
The contact works for a company that owns a 2020 BMW X7. The contact stated that while his boss was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The driver was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to a station. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the front trans-axle had disintegrated, causing the shaft to pinch and to create an 8-inch hole at the bottom of the oil pan. The contact stated that a significant amount of oil had leaked from the vehicle. The dealer determined that the transmission and engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that it was a known failure, but the vehicle failure was the most dangerous reported failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that no assistance could be provided because the VIN was not included in a related recall. The failure mileage was approximately 140,218.
Transfer case causes vehicle to shake when driving straight or turning from a complete stop or low speeds.
X7 models from year 2020 -2022 have a particular issue at stake which is a manufacture default as it's been reported in many cases in X7 models. I'd like have this Transportation safety to please look into this issue a safety recall as there is a shuddering issue in most x7's when turning right or left at a lower speed which slips the vehicle. I would appreciate it if someone could look into this. Thanks,
I am submitting this complaint based on recurring drivetrain and structural failures in my 2020 BMW X7 (VIN: [XXX] ), which raise serious concerns about reliability and safety. Most recently, the vehicle exhibited shuddering, power loss, and a “neutral-like” disengagement at low speeds. BMW of Pembroke Pines confirmed this through a test drive. However, instead of mechanical replacement, the dealer performed a VTG oil flush and attempted a calibration, which—according to their own documentation—“lost connection.” These signs point to recurring issues with the ATC (transfer case), a known point of failure in several BMW X models. Additional manufacturer defects I’ve experienced include: - Two incidents of cabin water intrusion from separate leaks - A dashboard panel burst shortly after purchase - Rear seat failure requiring a $7,000+ repair BMW North America refuses to provide further assistance despite acknowledging the repair history. This leaves me with a potentially unsafe vehicle, prone to recurring drivetrain failure without a clearly defined remedy. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate whether the Active Transfer Case and related VTG components in the BMW X7 pose a defect trend requiring formal attention. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While my wife was driving our 2020 BMW X7M under normal conditions, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic drivetrain and differential failure. According to the BMW dealership’s service manager, internal drivetrain components became disconnected while the vehicle was in motion. This caused parts to spin freely and damage surrounding systems. Fortunately, no crash occurred, but the technician emphasized that it could have easily led to an accident. There was no external impact, accident, or driver error. Both the BMW dealership and an independent insurance adjuster from GEICO confirmed the failure appeared to be mechanical and internal in nature, possibly due to a manufacturing defect. This failure poses a significant safety risk to occupants and other drivers. Had it occurred at higher speeds or in traffic, the consequences could have been severe. I believe this incident warrants investigation due to potential systemic safety concerns. I am requesting that NHTSA review this failure for manufacturer defects and evaluate whether similar complaints exist regarding drivetrain integrity in BMW X7M models. Supporting documentation, including video evidence, dealership notes, and the insurance report, are available via this link [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Without warning the vehicle came to an abrupt stop while going about 25 mph. I got out and checked and noticed a liquid dripping from underneath the front area of the vehicle. Later determined it was the front transfer case. I really would hate to think what could have happened at higher speeds. Again, no warning at all.
Engine shut off after a brief warning message on the dash while highway driving. I don't remember the exact words but it was a "drivetrain" problem. After the the message came on the car sputtered 2 or 3 times and then the engine shut down without warning. The car would not re-start. The car was stuck in the middle of the highway dead in it's track, in real danger of being rear ended by oncoming traffic driving at highway speeds. The car was towed to a nearby dealership that said the fuel pump failed. The odometer on the car was at 48,000, well below the typical mileage associated with fuel pump failure.
我的BMW X7 M50I开在高速公路上，全车突然没有任何动力，然后我打了BMW ROADSIDE ASSISTANT，在I80-W高速公路上等待3小时没有任何BMW的ROADSIDE ASSISTANT,这个我对BMW USA 的服务真差，还好我人没事，我的车从2/26号开始没法启动，自己付拖车费拖回来纽约，等待到3/1号车自付费用拖车去BROOKLYN BMW，到目前我的车还没有修好，同时BROOKLYN BMW也没有提供任何临时车我使用，我的车整整放在DEALERSHIP 目前3/22还没有任何消息维修好，这车让我感觉非常之危险了，威胁我的生命，你能想象这么高科技的车，新车，2020年的，车开着突然熄火在高速公路上吗？
ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH, AROUND 7PM ET, I PARKED IN FRONT OF A BUILDING COMPLEX. THE CAR WAS IN PARKING MOD WITH ENGINE ON. I WAS TALKING TO MY BROTHER IN LAW IN THE CAR WHEN WITHIN 4-5 MIN FROM THE TIME OF THE CAR WAS IN FULL STOP, WE HEARD THE ENGINE ROARING LOUDER AND LOUDER AND THE CAR ACCELERATED WITH TREMENDOUS SPEED TOWARDS THE BUILDING (PARKING SPOT IS AROUND 20 FEET FROM THE BUILDING). I PRESSED THE BRAKES, BUT THE CAR DIDN'T STOPPED UNTIL WE ENDED UP INSIDE THE BUILDING GOING THROUGH A BRICK WALL. THE ENGINE WAS STILL ROARING LOUDER FOR FEW MORE MINUTES WITH FRONT WHEELS SPINNING AROUND, UNTIL THE CAR SHUTS DOWN COMPLETELY. FROM ALL THAT IMPACT NO AIRBAG WAS OPEN, COALITION SENSORS DIDN'T STOP THE CAR, NOT EVEN ME PRESSING THE BREAKS DIDN'T STOP THE CAR. AFTER THE INCIDENT OUR INSURANCE (FARM BUREAU) AND THE MANUFACTURE (BMW USA) WAS CONTACTED IMMEDIATELY. AFTER ALL THIS TIME OF THEIR "INVESTIGATION", THE BMW REPRESENTATIVE CONTACTED US ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18TH. TELLING US THAT THEY HAVE NOT FOUND ANY DATA IN THE CAR (AFTER THEY PERFORMED ALL TESTS...) TO SUPPORT OUR CLAIM AND THAT THE CAR (THE BLACK BOX) HAS NOT RECORDED THIS ACCIDENT. WHAT I EXPERIENCE ON THIS CAR IS REAL AND I THANK GOD EVERY DAY THAT I WASN'T IN A HIGHWAY OR WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR AT THAT TIME. THIS CAR HAS TO BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER AS IT IS NOT SAFE
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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