⌘K
Home›BMW›M›2016
BMW · Compact car

2016 BMW M

Gas
Subcompact Cars
19 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
52 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns6
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA11
Crash ratingNHTSA overall—
Fuel economybest combined, EPA22 mpg
202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2016 BMW M is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact car with 19 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the M2, is EPA-rated at 22 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 11 complaints, most often about the exterior lighting.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
M2GasRWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo202622$3,500
M2GasRWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo182621$3,700
M3GasRWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo172620$3,900
M4 ConvertibleGasRWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo172620$3,900
M4 CoupeGasRWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo172620$3,900
M3GasRWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo172419$4,100
M4 ConvertibleGasRWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo172419$4,100
M4 CoupeGasRWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo172419$4,100
M4 GTSGasRWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo162319$4,100
M5GasRWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo152217$4,550
M6 ConvertibleGasRWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo152217$4,550
M6 CoupeGasRWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo152217$4,550
M6 Gran CoupeGasRWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo152217$4,550
M5GasRWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo142016$4,850
M6 ConvertibleGasRWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo142016$4,850
M6 CoupeGasRWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo142016$4,850
M6 Gran CoupeGasRWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo142016$4,850
X5 MGasAWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo141916$4,850
X6 MGasAWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo141916$4,850

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 37275, 37274, 36725, 36715, 36731, 36726, 36789, 36732, 37347, 36093.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2016 BMW M is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

Compare coverage →

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

Recalls (6)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Child Seat

32,760 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2015-2019 X6 sDrive35i, X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i, and X6M vehicles equipped with rear seat lower anchor bars used in securing child restraint seats. The lower anchor bars may become damaged over time when used with an ISOFIX-type, rigid-style connector, child restraint system.RiskDamaged lower anchor bars may increase the child's risk of injury in the event of a crash.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will weld a reinforcing bracket to the lower anchor bars and the vehicle body, free of charge. Owner notification began January 17, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 19V823000reported Nov 18, 2019BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Power Train

2,661 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2016-2017 BMW M3 Sedans, 2016-2017 BMW M4 and M4 GTS Coupes and 2017 BMW M4 Convertible vehicles. The connection between the driveshaft and the flange may fail resulting in a loss of propulsion.RiskA loss of vehicle propulsion can increase the risk of a crash.FixBMW will notify vehicle owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 18V713000reported Oct 11, 2018BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Air Bags

3,506 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2017 BMW 640i, 640i xDrive, 650i, 650i xDrive, M6, 535i, 535i xDrive, 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive, M4, X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, i3, i8, Rolls-Royce Dawn, Mini Clubman Cooper, Clubman Cooper S, Cooper All4, Cooper S All4, Mini 4-Door Cooper, Cooper S, Mini 2-Door Cooper, Cooper S, John Cooper Works and 2016 BMW 528i, 528i xDrive, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i, 550i xDrive, M5 and 535d vehicles. The affected vehicles have seat- mounted side air bag inflator initiators that may fail to ignite during a crash.RiskIf the air bag inflator initiator fails to ignite, the seat-mounted air bag will not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began February 6, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 16V914000reported Dec 20, 2016BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Structure

196 vehicles
ProblemBMW North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2016 BMW M2 Coupe vehicles, 2015-2017 M3 Sedan vehicles and 2015-2016 M4 Coupe and M4 Convertible vehicles. During servicing of the rear differential for a prior service action, the rear sub-frame bolts may have been reused instead of being replaced. Reuse of the existing bolts may cause the bolts to loosen.RiskLoose rear sub-frame bolts may adversely affect vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear sub-frame bolts with new bolts, free of charge. The recall began on November 3, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 16V653000reported Sep 9, 2016BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Power Train

42 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 M3 Sedan vehicles manufactured May 30, 2015, to September 2, 2015, 2016 M4 Coupe vehicles manufactured July 3, 2015, to September 11, 2015, and 2015-2016 M4 Convertible vehicles manufactured May 29, 2015, to August 4, 2015. The affected vehicles have a driveshaft with a slip-joint that may not have been filled with grease. As a result, the slip-joint may fail over time.RiskIf the slip-joint fails, there would be a loss of power to the rear axle and therefore the vehicle would stop moving, increasing the risk of a crash.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driveshaft, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 14, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 15V782000reported Nov 23, 2015BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Child Seat

7,162 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2016 528i, 528i xDrive, 535i, 535i xDrive, 535d xDrive, M5, 550i, 550i xDrive, and 535d sedans. The affected vehicles have an inboard lower anchor for child restraints on the left rear seat that may have been bent downwards, preventing the child seat from fully engaging both lower anchors. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."RiskIf the child seat is not properly attached to the lower anchors, it can increase the child's risk of injury in the event of a crash.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair the inboard lower anchor on the left rear seat, free of charge. The recall began on December 28, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 15V718000reported Oct 30, 2015BMW of North America, LLC

NHTSA defect 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

Source: NHTSA complaint database
11complaints filed

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2016: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 4 · 2020: 1 · 2024: 1

Most-cited components

Exterior Lighting5
Engine3
Unspecified2
Structure1
Power Train1
Suspension1

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

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Other M model years

A

2027 BMW M

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2026 BMW M

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2025 BMW M

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2024 BMW M

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2023 BMW M

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2022 BMW M

0 recalls · 0 complaints

F

2021 BMW M

12 recalls · 17 complaints

F

2020 BMW M

15 recalls · 57 complaints

D

2019 BMW M

4 recalls · 8 complaints

C

2018 BMW M

4 recalls · 41 complaints

C

2017 BMW M

3 recalls · 20 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. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

JSON for this page · API