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2018 BMW M

Gas
Compact Cars
16 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
C
Safety Signal
73 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns4
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA41
Crash ratingNHTSA overall—
Fuel economybest combined, EPA22 mpg
202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2018 BMW M is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact car with 16 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the M2, is EPA-rated at 22 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 41 complaints, most often about the air bags.

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 turbo172520$3,900
M3GasRWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo172420$3,900
M4 ConvertibleGasRWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo172520$3,900
M4 CoupeGasRWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo172520$3,900
M4 CoupeGasRWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo172420$3,900
M4 DTM Champions EditionGasRWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo172420$3,900
M3 CSGasRWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo162219$4,100
M4 ConvertibleGasRWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo162219$4,100
M550i xDriveGasAWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo162519$4,100
M5GasAWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo152117$4,550
M6 ConvertibleGasRWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo152217$4,550
M6 Gran CoupeGasRWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo152217$4,550
M6 ConvertibleGasRWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo142016$4,850
M6 Gran CoupeGasRWD4.4L 8-cyl turbo142016$4,850

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39123, 39122, 38974, 38975, 38604, 38622, 38623, 39107, 40037, 38605.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 BMW M is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (4)

Source: NHTSA recall database
○minor

Back Over Prevention

257,473 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 530e, 530e xDrive, X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive, X3 M40i, X3 M, and 2019-2020 X4 xDrive, X4 M40i, X4 M, X7 xDrive, X7 M50i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 8 Series Convertible and Coupe 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, X5 sDrive, X5 xDrive, X5 M50i, X6 xDrive, X6 M50i, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, Z4 sDrive, Z4 M40i, 740Le xDrive and 745Le xDrive, 2018-2019 640i xDrive Gran Turismo and Rolls-Royce Phantom, 2019 M850i xDrive Gran Coupe and Rolls-Royce Cullinan and 2020 Toyota Supra vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjustedRiskThe lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
NHTSA campaign 19V684000reported Sep 27, 2019BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

1,645 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW M5 vehicles. The fuel level sensor in the fuel tank may become stuck against an in-tank fuel line, causing the fuel gauge to display an inaccurate and possibly larger amount of fuel than is actually available.RiskAn incorrect fuel reading may lead to the vehicle stalling and increase the risk of a crash.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will secure the in-tank fuel line to keep the fuel line from contacting the fuel level sensor, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin September 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 18V473000reported Jul 17, 2018BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

846 vehicles
ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW M5 vehicles. In certain driving conditions, the engine control unit software may cause the fuel pump to stop.RiskIf the fuel pump stops, the vehicle will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the engine control unit software, free of charge. The recall began on June 25, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA campaign 18V323000reported May 16, 2018BMW of North America, LLC
▲high

Electrical System

3,188 vehicles
ProblemBMW 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."RiskIf 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.FixBMW 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 campaign 17V719000reported Nov 15, 2017BMW of North America, LLC

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
41complaints filed

0 involved a crash · 2 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2018: 2 · 2019: 5 · 2020: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 8 · 2024: 14 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 6

Most-cited components

Air Bags13
Seat Belts7
Fuel/Propulsion System7
Engine6
Electrical System5
Forward Collision Avoidance3

What owners describe

“While driving, suddenly, with no warning smoke came from under the hood. I got off the road and turned off car immediately. Luckily, since I did turn off the car so quickly, it did not burst into flames but did create a fire within the engine. I have video of fire damage and BMW quote on repair stating fire damage. As …”Aug 24, 2026 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report
“Throughout my ownership, I have adhered to BMW’s recommended maintenance schedule, including routine oil changes and inspections. At no point was I advised of any engine issues, oil leaks, or conditions that could potentially lead to catastrophic engine failure. Most recently, the vehicle had change oil svc. at BMW o…”Aug 7, 2026 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“The passenger seat occupancy sensor, an electrocapacitive mat (ecm), is defective on a large number of cars on the g30/fop platform including mine. This leads to intermittent sensor faults which cause an airbag warning.”Jun 9, 2026 · Air Bags · NHTSA owner report

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

2017 BMW M

3 recalls · 20 complaints

F

2016 BMW M

6 recalls · 11 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.

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