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U.S. public vehicle records

Bmw M4 problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

47 owner complaints analyzed

13 distinct recall campaigns

33,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2014 to 2026 model years. Data snapshot: . 21 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 16 of 47 complaints (34.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior714.9%
Fuel system concerns510.6%
Transmission and shifting36.4%
Steering behavior36.4%
Engine operation12.1%
Electrical and battery issues12.1%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Engine
16
Power Train
14
Fuel/Propulsion System
7
Suspension
7
Electrical System
5
Service Brakes
3
Unknown Or Other
3
Steering
2
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Engine16
Power Train14
Fuel/Propulsion System7
Suspension7
Electrical System5
Service Brakes3
Unknown Or Other3
Steering2

Engine: 16; Power Train: 14; Fuel/Propulsion System: 7; Suspension: 7; Electrical System: 5; Service Brakes: 3; Unknown Or Other: 3; Steering: 2

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
8
25,000 to 49,999
9
50,000 to 74,999
3
75,000 to 99,999
1
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0008
25,000 to 49,9999
50,000 to 74,9993
75,000 to 99,9991
100,000 to 149,9990
150,000 and above0

Under 25,000: 8; 25,000 to 49,999: 9; 50,000 to 74,999: 3; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (9). 26 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2017
5
2018
5
2019
10
2020
7
2021
1
2022
5
2023
3
2024
7
2025
1
2026
3
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20175
20185
201910
20207
20211
20225
20233
20247
20251
20263

2017: 5; 2018: 5; 2019: 10; 2020: 7; 2021: 1; 2022: 5; 2023: 3; 2024: 7; 2025: 1; 2026: 3

Pattern summary

Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 7 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 5 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 3 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 11331846 · 2020-06-30 (June 30, 2020)

I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE ON MARCH 10, 2020 FOR SERVICING. DURING THE TIME THEY HAD MY CAR, THEY REPLACED MY FRONT AND REAR BRAKE PADS, COMPLETED THE INSPECTION, AND GAVE ME THE CAR BACK AFTER A COUPLE DAYS. ON APRIL 10, 2020, I TOOK MY CAR INTO SERVICE AGAIN AS I WAS HAVING DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTIONS CONSTANTLY. SEVERAL WEEKS OF BEING IN THE SHOP, BMW SERVICE TECHNICIANS FOUND THAT COOLING FLUIDS HAD LEAKED FROM MY TOP MOUNTED INTERCOOLER, INTO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THROUGH THE INTAKE VALVES, AND DIRECTLY INTO THE ENGINE OF MY VEHICLE. SI…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11331846 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11739821 · 2026-05-24 (May 24, 2026)

The ABS module, which controls the brake drying feature, is malfunctioning. This BMW feature is designed to lightly pulse the brakes when the windshield wipers are active to wipe water off the rotors for better braking performance. The intervention is supposed to be imperceptible. Instead, the system intermittently applies hard, sudden brake pressure while the windshield wipers are operating. This causes abrupt, strong deceleration that feels like the brakes are slamming on by themselves. The problem occurs in wet conditions when wipers are on.…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11739821 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11595365 · 2024-06-19 (June 19, 2024)

Filled car with gas and drove home , came out 10 minutes later to a puddle of fuel under car , from the fuel tank on the rear driver side

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11595365 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11532209 · 2023-07-14 (July 14, 2023)

I think the fuel tank has cracked on the upper portion of the tank. I noticed a smell of gas on my way home from filling gas and when I got home I realized there was a puddle of gas sitting underneath my car. I jacked up the car and inspected the underneath and saw nothing, I noticed the gas was leaking from a higher spot, somewhere I couldnt see. Ive read on forums that its happened before to a few other people and someone personal that I know. Yes the car can be inspected upon request. Safety is put at risk because the gar is leaving right ne…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11532209 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11289909 · 2019-12-18 (December 18, 2019)

MY CAR HAS SPUN IT'S CRANK HUB AND THE CAR IS ONLY 3 -4 YEARS OLD MOST PEOPLE I KNOW WITH THE SAME CAR AS MINE JUST DIFFERENT YEAR HAS HAD TO REPLACE THE CRANK HUB AS WELL. IT'S A COMMON FAILURE ON THESE CARS AND WOULD LIKE NHTSA TO RECALL THIS COMMON PROBLEM THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING SINCE 2015. WHEN THE CRANK HUB FAILS FROM TIMING GOING OFF COUNTLESS ISSUES CAN ARISE WHICH CAN CAUSE ENGINE TO BE REPLACED WHICH IS A VERY COSTLY REPAIR. IT WOULD A PIECE OF MIND TO HAVE THE F80/F82/ F83 RECALLED IT WOULD BE A PIECE OF MIND FOR OUR COMMUNITY. NOW HO…

Owner-reported narrative. 65,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11289909 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11342183 · 2020-07-30 (July 30, 2020)

I WAS DRIVING LIKE I NORMALLY DO TO WORK AND MY TRANSMISSION TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR WENT LIMP AND A FEW MOMENTS LATER THE CLUTCH TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON ALSO. IT STOPPED DOING IT FOR A WHILE AND NOW IT DOES IT VERY OFTEN BUT DOES NOT PUT A CODE IN THE CARS COMPUTER DATABASE SO IT CAN'T BE TRACKED. THIS HAPPENS OFTEN A IN CITY WITH LIGHTS ETC AND SOMETIMES ON THE HIGHWAYS ALSO.

Owner-reported narrative. 57,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11342183 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11405983 · 2021-04-01 (April 1, 2021)

THE BILLET ALUMINUM STEERING KNUCKLES/STEERING CARRIERS ARE CRACKED AT ONE OF TWO BOLT POINTS CAUSING A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERN. THIS IS A KNOWN MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND BMW SUBSEQUENTLY CHANGED THE DESIGN OF THE REPLACEMENT PART. THIS BILLET ALUMINUM PART IS SPECIFIC TO THE 2016 BMW M4 GTS, A LIMITED EDITION BMW M4. APPROXIMATELY 800 M4 GTS'S WERE EVER BUILT AND THESE PARTS ARE FAILING AT ALL MILEAGE VALUES. THIS ISSUE IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON BIMMERPOST.COM FROM SEVERAL OWNERS. BMW WILL NOT COVER THE COST TO REPLACE IF THE VEHICLE IS OUTSI…

Owner-reported narrative. 6,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11405983 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11523605 · 2023-05-24 (May 24, 2023)

Both front steering bearing carriers (knuckles) cracked... this is a well documented defect on the M4 GTS model that BMW has not addressed.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11523605 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10980434 · 2017-04-25 (April 25, 2017)

THIS CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH AUTO START/STOP TECHNOLOGY. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE CAR HAS COMPLETELY STALLED OUT AND FAILED. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE WITH CAR, AND HAS STATED THEY ARE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, AND OFFER NO REMEDY. AFTER MY CAR HAS BEEN OUT OF SERVICE FOR A WHOLE HOST OF ISSUES TO INCLUDE TRANSMISSIONS, EXCESSIVE BRAKE NOISE AND HESITATION, ENGINE MISFIRING AS WELL AS BLUETOOTH AND NAVIGATION SYSTEM FAILURE. THESE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN ISSUES WITH MY CAR SINCE ABOUT 13,000 MILES TILL NOW WHICH IS 40,220.…

Owner-reported narrative. 39,990 miles reported. Look up ODI 10980434 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11324374 · 2020-05-13 (May 13, 2020)

DRIVER SIDE DOOR LOCK FAIL TO UNLOCK TO ALLOW DOOR OPEN WHEN INTERIOR DOOR RELEASE PULLED. OCCURRED OCCASIONALLY AT FIRST, NOW REGULARLY BUT NOT ALWAYS. THE CAR DESIGNED TO AUTOMATICALLY LOCKS WHEN DRIVEN, ONCE CAR PARKED AND READY TO GET OUT, DOOR LEVER FAILS TO UNLOCK AND ALLOW DOOR TO OPEN. NORMALLY FIRST PULL OF INTERIOR DOOR LEVER UNLOCKS AND SECOND RELEASES DOOR. WHEN THIS ISSUE HAPPENS FIRST PULL FAILS TO UNLOCK, THE LOCK BUTTON BY DOOR COMES UP, BUT SPRINGS BACK DOWN, TRAPPING THE DRIVER AS DOOR UNABLE TO BE OPENED. ONLY WAY TO UNLOCK T…

Owner-reported narrative. 13,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11324374 at NHTSA ↗

Compare model years

Recalls by model year

All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.

Recall campaigns

Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.

2014
2
2015
3
2016
3
2017
3
2018
1
2019
1
2020
2
2021
2
2022
0
2024
0
2026
1
Recall campaigns data
CategoryCount
20142
20153
20163
20173
20181
20191
20202
20212
20220
20240
20261

2014: 2; 2015: 3; 2016: 3; 2017: 3; 2018: 1; 2019: 1; 2020: 2; 2021: 2; 2022: 0; 2024: 0; 2026: 1

Year-by-year records

Bmw M4 model-year comparison
Model yearComplaintsRecallsChange in recalls
201402Not available
2015123+1
20162230
2017230
201861-2
2019010
202012+1
2021120
202220-2
202410Not available
202601Not available