2018 BMW 2 Series
Gas Compact car
The 2018 BMW 2 Series is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact car with 11 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the 230i Coupe, is EPA-rated at 28 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 7 complaints, most often about engine.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 230i Coupe | Gas | RWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 24 | 35 | 28 | $2,750 |
| 230i Convertible | Gas | RWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 24 | 34 | 27 | $2,850 |
| 230i xDrive Convertible | Gas | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 23 | 33 | 27 | $2,850 |
| 230i xDrive Coupe | Gas | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 24 | 33 | 27 | $2,850 |
| 230i Coupe | Gas | RWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 21 | 32 | 25 | $3,100 |
| M240i Convertible | Gas | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 21 | 30 | 24 | $3,250 |
| M240i Coupe | Gas | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 21 | 30 | 24 | $3,250 |
| M240i xDrive Convertible | Gas | AWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 21 | 30 | 24 | $3,250 |
| M240i xDrive Coupe | Gas | AWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 21 | 30 | 24 | $3,250 |
| M240i Convertible | Gas | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 18 | 27 | 22 | $3,500 |
| M240i Coupe | Gas | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 19 | 28 | 22 | $3,500 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
Out of factory warranty soon?
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Recalls (2)
Engine And Engine Cooling
highProblem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW 540d xDrive vehicles. The crankshaft sensor may be equipped with incorrect firmware, preventing the sensor from properly processing input from the crankshaft reluctor ring, possibly resulting in a vehicle stall. On September 12, 2018, BMW expanded the recall to a total of 5,309 vehicles including certain 2018-2019 BMW 540d xDrive, 230i M240i, M240i xDrive, X2 sDrive28i, X2 xDrive28i, X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 330i, 330i xDrive, 340i, 340i xDrive, 330i xDrive Gran Turismo, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, 530e, 530e xDrive, 640i xDrive Gran Turismo, 330e, 2019 430i Gran Coupe, 430i xDrive Gran Coupe, 440i Gran Coupe, 440
Risk: A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the crankshaft sensor, free of charge. The recall began September 6, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Electrical System
highProblem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 230i, 230i xDrive, M240i, M240i xDrive, M2, and X3 xDrive 30i SAV vehicles. These vehicles may have an error in the software for the instrument panel, causing the display to not properly illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Control and Displays."
Risk: If the display does not illuminate during start up or does not illuminate various control and warning symbols while driving, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster display software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 8, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA investigations
Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module — Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (open)
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa
Opened Sep 17, 2021 · action EA21002
Owner complaints
7 complaints filed
0 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 0 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2018: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2026: 2
Most-cited components
- Engine — 3
- Exterior Lighting — 2
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 1
- Wheels — 1
- Electrical System — 1
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.
Other 2 Series model years
2027 2 Series
0 recalls · 0 complaints
A2026 2 Series
0 recalls · 1 complaints
B2025 2 Series
1 recalls · 2 complaints
D2024 2 Series
3 recalls · 2 complaints
F2023 2 Series
5 recalls · 7 complaints
F2022 2 Series
5 recalls · 11 complaints
C2021 2 Series
4 recalls · 8 complaints
C2020 2 Series
3 recalls · 5 complaints
A2019 2 Series
1 recalls · 1 complaints
A2017 2 Series
0 recalls · 14 complaints
B2016 2 Series
1 recalls · 26 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 39113, 39114, 39115, 39218, 39285, 39119, 39116, 39121, 39118, 39120, 39117). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.