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2023 BMW M

Gas

Subcompact Cars
15 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

87 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 2

Complaints1 crash reported 2

Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 19 mpg

2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2023 BMW M is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact sedan with 15 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the M2 Coupe, is EPA-rated at 19 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 2 complaints, most often about the power train.

BMW M1 — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — BMW M1 · Photo: Calreyn88 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
M2 Coupe	Gas	RWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	16	24	19	$4,350
M2 Coupe	Gas	RWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	16	23	19	$4,350
M3 Competition Sedan	Gas	RWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	16	23	19	$4,350
M3 Sedan	Gas	RWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	16	23	19	$4,350
M4 Competition Coupe	Gas	RWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	16	23	19	$4,350
M4 Coupe	Gas	RWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	16	23	19	$4,350
M3 Competition M xDrive Sedan	Gas	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	16	22	18	$4,550
M4 CSL Coupe	Gas	RWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	16	23	18	$4,550
M4 Competition M xDrive Convertible	Gas	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	16	23	18	$4,550
M4 Competition M xDrive Coupe	Gas	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	16	22	18	$4,550
M5 Competition Sedan	Gas	AWD	4.4L 8-cyl turbo	15	21	17	$4,850
M5 Sedan	Gas	AWD	4.4L 8-cyl turbo	15	21	17	$4,850
M8 Competition Convertible	Gas	AWD	4.4L 8-cyl turbo	15	22	17	$4,850
M8 Competition Coupe	Gas	AWD	4.4L 8-cyl turbo	15	22	17	$4,850
M8 Competition Gran Coupe	Gas	AWD	4.4L 8-cyl turbo	15	22	17	$4,850

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 46120, 46121, 45495, 45494, 45486, 45485, 45496, 45649, 45488, 45487.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
M2 Coupe, M3 Sedan, M4 Competition M xDrive Convertible	5 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
M2 Coupe, M3 Competition M xDrive Sedan, M3 Competition Sedan, M4 CSL Coupe, M4 Competition Coupe, M4 Competition M xDrive Coupe, M4 Coupe	5 / 10	Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 / California LEV-III ULEV70	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
M5 Competition Sedan, M8 Competition Convertible, M8 Competition Coupe	3 / 10	Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 / California LEV-III ULEV125	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
M5 Sedan, M8 Competition Gran Coupe	3 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV125 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125	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 Competition Sedan, M5 Sedan, M8 Competition Convertible, M8 Competition Coupe, M8 Competition 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 vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Coupe
Doors	2
GVWR class	Class 1C: 4,001 - 5,000 lb (1,814 - 2,268 kg)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	6
Displacement	3 L

Engine Output

Horsepower

405 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Transmission

Drivetrain

AWD/All-Wheel Drive

Driver assistance

Standard: Adaptive cruise control, Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking, Rear cross-traffic alert

Optional: 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, M3 xDrive Competition). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

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Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Electrical System

120 vehicles 98% reported repaired

Problem BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2023 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, M3, 330e, 330e xDrive, 430i Convertible, 430i xDrive, M440i, 2022-2023 430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive, i4 eDrive40, and i4 M50 vehicles. During a service visit, a replacement electronic control unit (ECU) may have been installed with incorrect programming, which can cause the automatic door locking (ADL) function to not lock the doors as intended. Risk Doors that do not lock as intended while the vehicle is in motion may open during a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Fix Dealers will update the ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 23V118000 reported Feb 23, 2023 BMW of North America, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

●moderate

Visibility

3,193 vehicles 99% reported repaired

Problem BMW of North Americal, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2023 8 Series Coupe (840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8), 8 Series Convertible (840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8), 8 Series Gran Coupe (840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8, Alpine B8 xDrive), 2 Series Coupe (230i, 230i xDrive, M240i xDrive, M2), and 2022-2023 Z4 sDrive30i, Z4 M40i vehicles. When the digital key is removed from the vehicle, the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) software may still allow the power windows and sunroof to be closed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 118, "Power-operated Window Systems." Risk Unintentionally closing the windows or sunroof without the key present can increase the risk of injury to occupants inside the vehicle. Fix Dealers will update the software for the Electronic Control Unit (ECU), free of charge. In addition, the digital key function via cellular service and Wi-Fi capability will be deactivated until the vehicle is updated with new software. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 11, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 23V099000 reported Feb 17, 2023 BMW of North America, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

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 2023 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.

NHTSA VIN check →BMW’s own VIN lookup →

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 2023 BMW M, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

2complaints filed

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

2.4 per 10,000 built · BMW reported 8,436 M built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2025: 1 · 2026: 1

Most-cited components

Power Train 2

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.

My 2023 BMW M2 6-speed manual suffered a catastrophic clutch/transmission/drivetrain failure at approximately 16,000 miles. The vehicle is stock and was still under BMW warranty/CPO coverage. I purchased the vehicle at approximately 6,000 miles and I am the third owner. The incident occurred in on , on the side/westbound area.

Power Train Sep 1, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11761324

Car was parked and turned off in our driveway and it rolled backwards down the driveway and into the street

Power Train Jun 26, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11669571

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 24 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 NCAP

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

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 88

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-05-04

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 85 service bulletins, 3 emissionss

Most often about: Electrical System, Structure, Equipment, Steering, Visibility/Wiper.

B641224 Service bulletin
2026-05-04 · Structure — Body
1. Use of aftermarket accessory hang-on cellular phone holders and/or air fresheners can break the instrument panel air vent slats. Damage and/or issues caused by outside influences are not covered under the BMW limited warranties. Originally, the air vent slats were only repairable by replacing the entire front center dash vent assembly; which in some applications, also included the IHKA control
B410725 Service bulletin
2026-01-08 · Structure — Body
While driving on a smooth and/or unevenroad, a “cracking” sound is heard from therear wheel arch area (highlighted in orange) on either the right or left side.
B840625 Service bulletin
2025-10-03 · Electrical System
In some situations, an emergency call may be triggered in the vehicle without either the customer pressing the SOS Call button, or an airbag deployment event. In some cases, the customer may not even be inside the vehicle.
B512222 Service bulletin
2025-09-17 · Structure — Body
Hood lever is pulled twice but the hood only achieves the pre-latch position on both sides.
B410725 Service bulletin
2025-08-20 · Structure — Body
While driving on a smooth and/or uneven road, a “cracking” sound is heard from the rear wheel arch area (highlighted in orange) on either the right or left side.
B120425 Emissions
2025-06-11 · Electrical System
EMISSIONS RECALL 25E-A02: PROGRAM CONTROL UNITS
B120125 Emissions
2025-06-06 · Electrical System
EMISSIONS RECALL 25E-A03: PROGRAM CONTOL UNITS (DME)
B510923 Service bulletin
2024-08-19 · Visibility/Wiper
Sudden failure of the power window(s).

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 DMV

New York inspections 2.1%

failed emissions

573 initial inspections of 558 vehicles.

Measure	The 2023 M	Every 2023 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	2.1%	1.6%	572
Failed the safety inspection	1.1%	1.1%	573
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.17%	0.16%	573
Miles driven a year	6,611	10,038	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	21,582	32,673	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 2023 vehicle” is every 2023 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).

M by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2027 A^* 0 0 19 mpg 2026 C 2 0 19 mpg 2025 C 2 3 19 mpg 2024 A 0 2 19 mpg 2023 this page B 2 2 19 mpg 2022 A 0 4 19 mpg 2021 F 14 26 26 mpg 2020 F 16 67 25 mpg 2019 D 6 8 24 mpg 2018 C 6 48 22 mpg 2017 D 6 23 22 mpg 2016 D 7 37 22 mpg

Common questions about the 2023 M

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2023 BMW M have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2023 BMW M. The most serious on file is 23V118000, covering Electrical System. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2023 BMW M?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2023 BMW M yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it B (87/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2023 BMW M?

Across the 15 EPA-rated configurations of the 2023 BMW M, the best EPA combined figure is 19 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What do owners complain about on the 2023 BMW M?

Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 BMW M, most often about power train. Of those, 1 involved a crash. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2023 BMW M?

The EPA smog rating for the 2023 BMW M runs 3 to 5 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-III ULEV125, California LEV-III ULEV70, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2023 BMW M?

The manufacturer has filed 88 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2023 BMW M, most often covering electrical system, structure, equipment. The most recent is dated 2026-05-04. 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 2023 BMW M do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2023 BMW M failed the emissions check on 2.1% of first inspections — higher than the 1.6% for every 2023 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.1% (every 2023 vehicle: 1.1%). 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	15 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	15 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	2	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	2	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	88	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	8 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.

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