vehicle signal
U.S. public vehicle records

2018 Bmw M5: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

6 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

750 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2018 model year. Data snapshot: . 1 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 3 of 6 complaints (50.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Fuel system concerns116.7%

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
3
Air Bags
2
Fuel/Propulsion System
1
Power Train
1
Seat Belts
1
Seats
1
Service Brakes
1
Structure:Body
1
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Engine3
Air Bags2
Fuel/Propulsion System1
Power Train1
Seat Belts1
Seats1
Service Brakes1
Structure:Body1

Engine: 3; Air Bags: 2; Fuel/Propulsion System: 1; Power Train: 1; Seat Belts: 1; Seats: 1; Service Brakes: 1; Structure:Body: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

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

Under 25,000
1
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0001
25,000 to 49,9990
50,000 to 74,9990
75,000 to 99,9990
100,000 to 149,9990
150,000 and above0

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

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 5 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.

2018
1
2024
3
2026
2
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20181
20243
20262

2018: 1; 2024: 3; 2026: 2

Pattern summary

Engine leads the component reports. Fuel system concerns appears in 1 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.

Examples from the source records

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

Owner report 11098125 · 2018-05-26 (May 26, 2018)

I ALMOST HAD A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT IN MY 2 WEEK OLD 2018 M5 ON THE 1-95 HIGHWAY ON THE NIGHT OF MAY 25, 2018 AT ABOUT 9:45PM. WITHOUT WARNING, AT ABOUT 65MPH, THE CAR JERKED FOR ABOUT 3SECONDS , KICKED OUT OF DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL AND STARTED DECELERATING. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE SURROUNDED BY SPEEDING VEHICLES. I MANAGED TO GUIDE IT TO THE SHOULDER AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION FOR 2MINUTES, AFTER WHICH I RE-STARTED THE CAR AND WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE DRIVE. I CONTACTED MY DEALERSHIP TODAY, ONLY TO BE INFORMED, THIS WAS AS A RESULT OF COMPUTER GLITCH C…

Owner-reported narrative. 750 miles reported. Look up ODI 11098125 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11577017 · 2024-03-12 (March 12, 2024)

This is for the front passenger seat only.The idrive system will give an error for the passenger restraint system and will mention there is a seat belt issue and turn off the airbag. This is intermittent and will happen with or without a passenger. I contacted BMW about it but because it is not presently acting out, they won't do anything about it unless I want to just start paying for new parts and do "exploratory" surgery on it trying to resolve this. Unacceptable as this has been happening for a couple of years and is a danger because of it …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11577017 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11585423 · 2024-04-26 (April 26, 2024)

The coolant tank on my 2018 M5 failed causing a coolant leak. This is a highly documented problem on the forums and mine needed replacement at 22k miles. The bigger issue is the location of the tank because the coolant leaks on the ignition coils and fuel injectors causing failures later. My coils and spark plugs needed replacement along with the tank. This is unacceptable and BMW needs to address this issue.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11585423 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11594879 · 2024-06-17 (June 17, 2024)

BMW issued a stop sale on 2017-2023 bmw F90 M5 chassis regarding the expansion tank failure. All vehicles should be affected by the recall. My current vehicle is experiencing the issues stated on the recall notice. Expansion tank is failing and causing coolant to seep into engine bay

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11594879 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11729136 · 2026-04-04 (April 4, 2026)

I had gotten into a head on collision in January. My insurance had refused to cover me because I had only been insured for a month. Now I’m trying to get it fix out of pocket. I’m finding out about more repairs needed ASAP. My engine might be gone.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11729136 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11743092 · 2026-06-09 (June 9, 2026)

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.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11743092 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

3 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

18V323000 · Electrical System:Software | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump

Reported: 2018-05-16 (May 16, 2018)

BMW 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.

Consequence: If the fuel pump stops, the vehicle will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: BMW 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 record ↗
18V473000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly

Reported: 2018-07-17 (July 17, 2018)

BMW 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.

Consequence: An incorrect fuel reading may lead to the vehicle stalling and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: BMW 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 record ↗
19V684000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera

Reported: 2019-09-27 (September 27, 2019)

BMW 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 adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."

Consequence: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: BMW 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 record ↗