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2016 BMW 4 Series Gran

Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

49 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 20, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Buywillitcar.com

Why buy?

Complaints are still coming in strong late in this car's life, a chronic-problem pattern, not early teething.

Electrical system problems dominate (41% of complaints).

Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.

Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.

Score breakdown, by factor

Full methodology →

#103 of 467Among the 2016 models with a matured record, the 2016 BMW 4 Series Gran ranks #103, scoring higher than 72% of them. See the 2016 ranking →

Complaint volume93
Severity85
Recall load100
Trend31

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20162025

How it crashes

NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.

NHTSA crash-tested this model year but didn’t publish an overall star rating for it.

1 open NHTSA defect investigation on file for this model year, separate from the recalls above.

Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2016 BMW 4 Series Gran, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k mi

Also reported (mileage varies): Electrical system (20) · Engine & cooling (16) · Engine (8)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.

Electrical system

41%

20 complaints · 19 in the last 2 years

The contact owns a 2016 BMW 428I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the pa…

Read the electrical system complaints →

Engine & cooling

33%

16 complaints · 16 in the last 2 years

The contact owns a 2016 BMW 428I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System) however, the par…

Read the engine & cooling complaints →

Engine

16%

8 complaints · 5 in the last 2 years

I hear weird sounds in the car and it smells like it's burning. The car stalls while driving and while in traffic.

Read the engine complaints →

Body & structure

6%

3 complaints

WHEN IT IS COLD WITH SNOW OR SLEET THE DOORS ARE DIFFICULT TO OPEN AND THEY WILL NOT CLOSE FULLY. THE DASH LIGHT INDICATES THAT THE DOOR IS OPEN. AFTER DRIVING FOR AWH…

Read the body & structure complaints →

Check it against this car’s mileage

Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.

miles

Too few owners named a mileage on this model to place issues against an odometer yet.

Read all 49 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 3 crash/fire/injury reports →

Recalls (0)

No recall campaigns on file for this model year.

Questions to ask the seller

Questions worth asking the seller of this BMW before you buy, drawn from its public record:

  1. Owners of this model report electrical system problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any electrical system symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  2. Owners of this model report engine & cooling problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any engine & cooling symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  3. Has this car been in any accident or had any structural, airbag, or flood-related repair? Do you have a clean title and a recent history report (Carfax / AutoCheck)?
  4. How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
  5. Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?

Before you hand over money

Check the VIN for open recalls

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2016 BMW 4 SERIES GRAN beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2016? See how every 4 Series Gran model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2016 BMW 4 Series Gran against another car →

What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

See what owners are saying about other cars →

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2016 BMW 4 Series Gran as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.