2018 BMW M
The 2018 BMW M is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact sedan with 16 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 C. Owners have filed 48 complaints, most often about the air bags.

Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M2 | Gas | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 20 | 26 | 22 | $3,750 |
| M2 | Gas | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 18 | 26 | 21 | $3,900 |
| M3 | Gas | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 17 | 25 | 20 | $4,100 |
| M3 | Gas | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 17 | 24 | 20 | $4,100 |
| M4 Convertible | Gas | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 17 | 25 | 20 | $4,100 |
| M4 Coupe | Gas | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 17 | 25 | 20 | $4,100 |
| M4 Coupe | Gas | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 17 | 24 | 20 | $4,100 |
| M4 DTM Champions Edition | Gas | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 17 | 24 | 20 | $4,100 |
| M3 CS | Gas | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 16 | 22 | 19 | $4,350 |
| M4 Convertible | Gas | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 16 | 22 | 19 | $4,350 |
| M550i xDrive | Gas | AWD | 4.4L 8-cyl turbo | 16 | 25 | 19 | $4,350 |
| M5 | Gas | AWD | 4.4L 8-cyl turbo | 15 | 21 | 17 | $4,850 |
| M6 Convertible | Gas | RWD | 4.4L 8-cyl turbo | 15 | 22 | 17 | $4,850 |
| M6 Gran Coupe | Gas | RWD | 4.4L 8-cyl turbo | 15 | 22 | 17 | $4,850 |
| M6 Convertible | Gas | RWD | 4.4L 8-cyl turbo | 14 | 20 | 16 | $5,150 |
| M6 Gran Coupe | Gas | RWD | 4.4L 8-cyl turbo | 14 | 20 | 16 | $5,150 |
*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.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M2, M3, M3 CS, M4 Convertible, M4 Coupe, M5, M550i xDrive | 3 / 10 | California LEV-III ULEV125 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
| M3, M4 Convertible, M4 DTM Champions Edition | 3 / 10 | Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 / California LEV-III ULEV125 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
| M6 Convertible, M6 Gran Coupe | 1 / 10 | Federal Tier 3 Bin 160 / California LEV-II LEV | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Gas-guzzler tax applies to M5, M6 Convertible, M6 Gran Coupe — a federal excise the manufacturer pays and prices in.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
Source: NHTSA vPICDimensions Exterior
| Body style | Sedan/Saloon |
| Doors | 4 |
| GVWR class | Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less) |
Engine Basics
| Cylinders | 8 |
| Displacement | 4.4 L |
Engine Output
| Horsepower | 455 hp |
Fuel Economy
| Fuel | Gasoline |
Seating
| Seat rows | 2 |
| Seating capacity | 5 seats |
Transmission
| Drivetrain | AWD/All-Wheel Drive |
| Transmission | Automatic |
| Transmission speeds | 8 |
Driver assistance
Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Electronic stability control
Optional: Adaptive cruise control, Automatic emergency braking, Blind-spot monitoring, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Parking assist
Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: 2-Series, 3-Series, 4-Series, 4-series). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2018 BMW M is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
What to check before you buy →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 databaseBack Over Prevention
Fuel System, Gasoline
Fuel System, Gasoline
Electrical System
Seat Belts
These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
Whether any of this applies to one specific M
A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2018 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. BMW publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2018 BMW M, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2018 BMW M
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Find parts for this M →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database0 involved a crash · 2 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported
35 per 10,000 built · BMW reported 13,669 M built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2018: 2 · 2019: 6 · 2020: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 10 · 2024: 16 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 8
Most-cited components
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
The fuel tank was leaking a substantial amount of fuel. Yes it is. Our safety was put at risk due to the fuel leak. Any small spark, overheating or if somebody threw a cigarette butt out of their window could have ignited our car. BMW informed me to immediately cease driving the car and bring to the dealership right away.
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.
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.
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
The contact owns a 2018 BMW M2. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer for a routine leak of the differential seal. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the left wheel bearing had failed. The dealer sent a video that included a sound coming from the passenger’s side wheel bearing.
The contact owns a 2018 BMW M4. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera became inoperable, preventing the contact from safely reversing the vehicle.
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.
Reported by BMW itself: 2 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 2 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 15 per 100,000 built. Every M model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAPNHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications- 15 years or 150,000 miles · BMW warranty extension 5135900100The coverage period for qualifying lower rear side panel water drain repair that addresses the issues described in the Service Information Bulletin has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles, as…
- Term not in NHTSA’s summary · BMW warranty extension 6577900600A situation may occur where the front passenger seat is not occupied.
- Term not in NHTSA’s summary · BMW warranty extension 1353900800The Fuel Injector Condition-Specific Repair Coverage Program applies to qualifying repairs for the required replacement of one or more the fuel injectors which were determined to have failed due to a…
- Term not in NHTSA’s summary · BMW warranty extension B011724The Fuel Injector Condition-Specific Repair Coverage Program applies to qualifying repairs for the required replacement of one or more the fuel injectors which were determined to have failed due to a…
- 15 years or 150,000 miles · BMW bulletin B011219FRONT GRILLE UPPER/LOWER ACTIVE AIR FLAPS: LTD WTY EXT TO 15 YEARS/150,000 MILES: Component-Specific Limited Warranty Extension This component-specific limited warranty extension applies to defects…
The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every BMW warranty extension (46) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →
Most often about: Equipment, Electrical System, Engine, Equipment Adaptive/Mobility, Service Brakes.
- B010826 Warranty extension2026-09-03 · Structure — Body
- The coverage period for qualifying lower rear side panel water drain repair that addresses the issues described in the Service Information Bulletin has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles, as determined from the original first in-service / delivery date.
- B011724 Warranty extension2025-09-19 · Engine
- The Fuel Injector Condition-Specific Repair Coverage Program applies to qualifying repairs for the required replacement of one or more the fuel injectors which were determined to have failed due to a buildup of external corrosion in the engine’s center fuel injector bore area that resulted after this location was periodically contaminated by engine coolant residue over time. This special program’s
- B064725 Other2025-09-09 · Service Brakes
- Protection Plate Return
- B720417 Warranty extension2025-06-11 · Air Bags
- The Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Front Passenger’s Seat Occupancy Capacitive Interior Sensor (CIS) Mat for defects in materials and/or workmanship that causes a false seat occupancy alert to occur has been extended to 10 years / 120,000 miles as determined from the vehicle's original inservice / first delivery date.
- B720125 Warranty extension2025-04-18 · Air Bags
- The Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Front Passenger’s Seat Occupancy Capacitive Interior Sensor (CIS) Mat for defects in materials and/or workmanship that causes a false seat occupancy alert to occur has been extended to 10 years / 120,000 miles as determined from the vehicle's original in-service / first delivery date.
- B340921 Service bulletin2025-01-14 · Service Brakes
- A turbine-like noise can be heard from the rear axle while deceleration during the first 300 miles of operation when braking from low speed.
- B011724 Warranty extension2024-12-10 · Fuel/Propulsion System
- the Fuel Injector Condition-Specific Repair Coverage Program applies to qualifying repairs for the required replacement of one or more the fuel injectors which were determined to have failed due to a buildup of external corrosion in the engine’s center fuel injector bore area that resulted after this location was periodically contaminated by engine coolant residue over time. This special program’s
- B170324 Service campaign2024-05-16 · Engine
- Under certain driving situations, coolant leaks onto the fuel injectors on cylinder bank (5-8).
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2018 BMW M failed the emissions check on 6.4% of first inspections — higher than the 3.0% for every 2018 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.34% (every 2018 vehicle: 1.9%).
failed emissions
580 initial inspections of 562 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2018 M | Every 2018 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the emissions check | 6.4% | 3.0% | 579 |
| Failed the safety inspection | 0.34% | 1.9% | 580 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0.17% | 0.22% | 580 |
| Miles driven a year | 6,088 | 10,002 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 50,544 | 82,833 | odometer at inspection |
New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2018 vehicle” is every 2018 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
Common questions about the 2018 M
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2018 BMW M have any recalls?
NHTSA has posted 6 recall campaigns for the 2018 BMW M. The most serious on file is 20V094000, covering Exterior Lighting. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.
How safe is the 2018 BMW M?
NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2018 BMW M yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it C (73/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2018 BMW M?
Across the 16 EPA-rated configurations of the 2018 BMW M, the best EPA combined figure is 22 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What do owners complain about on the 2018 BMW M?
Owners have filed 48 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 BMW M, most often about air bags, fuel/propulsion system, seat belts. Of those, 2 a fire. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2018 BMW M?
The EPA smog rating for the 2018 BMW M runs 1 to 3 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-II LEV, California LEV-III ULEV125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 160 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2018 BMW M?
The manufacturer has filed 825 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2018 BMW M, most often covering equipment, electrical system, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-09-03. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2018 BMW M do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2018 BMW M failed the emissions check on 6.4% of first inspections — higher than the 3.0% for every 2018 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.34% (every 2018 vehicle: 1.9%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 16 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 16 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | 6 | NHTSA recall campaigns | A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags. |
| Owner complaints | 48 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | none | NHTSA NCAP | NHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe. |
| Service bulletins | 825 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | none | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | No defect investigation has been opened. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | 12 fields | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | none | Manufacturer press kit | We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind. |
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
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). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.