RoadVitals

2018 BMW M2

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
3
Latest Mar 10, 2026
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Nov 15, 2017
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2018 BMW M2, most frequently naming the engine, exterior lighting and suspension categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 102 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine120.0%
  • Exterior lighting120.0%
  • Suspension120.0%
  • Transmission120.0%
  • Visibility120.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
17V719000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

Nov 15, 2017
3,188 units potentially affected
The defect: BMW 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."
The risk: If 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.
The remedy: BMW 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.
BMW of North America, LLCView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

SuspensionTransmission
Filed Mar 10, 2026

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 vehicle was not repaired. There was a loud sound coming from the wheel bearings. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 76,547.

NHTSA ID
11723355
Incident
Dec 31, 2025
Mileage
76,547 mi
Engine
Filed Jan 3, 2024

I was driving on a highway accelerating to merge to left lane when suddenly my charge pipe exploded and my vehicle lost almost all power. The sudden power loss put me in extreme danger as I tried to pull back over to the nearest exit with traffic zooming past me. After doing some research it became apparent that this is a long known issue. In fact bmw has redesigned the charge pipe with a new, more robust version but no recall has been issued to date and I'm stuck with over a thousand dollars of repairs as the pipe did additional damage to adjacent components. The BMW dealer is more than happy to write me up large repair bills and when I asked them why my car with 17.3K miles is experiencing such catastrophic failure am I being asked to pay for replacing an obvious manufacturing defect... Their answer is "I dunno I'm not in charge of such things - now give us money". What can you do about this? This is a widely known and widely reported issue. Why haven't nhtsa done anything about it?

NHTSA ID
11563376
Incident
Jan 1, 2024
Exterior lightingVisibility
Filed Feb 15, 2019

FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS IN EVERY SNOWSTORM, THIS HAS BECOME A PROBLEM. THE HEADLIGHTS BECOME BUILT UP WITH SNOWPACK AND WILL NOT MELT DUE TO THE EFFICIENCY OF THE LED BULBS NOT PRODUCING ENOUGH HEAT. I'VE TRIED USING THE WASHER FLUID SPRAYERS EVERY FEW MINUTES TO STOP BUILD UP, BUT ALL IT DOES IS KEEP THE TURN SIGNAL AREA CLEAN, TESTED MULTIPLE DIFFERENT WASHER FLUIDS AS EXTREME AS I CAN FIND, EVEN MIXING MY OWN WASHER FLUID UP MADE OF 50% METHANOL AND 50% ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL. THERE IS NO FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM, IT IS NOT USER ERROR, AND IT'S NOT A ONE-TIME THING, IT HAPPENS EVERY SNOW STORM INVOLVING DRIVING OVER 25 MPH. I'VE TRIED ADDRESSING IT WITH MY LOCAL DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME TO REACH OUT TO BMW USA, WHICH I'VE TRIED WITH NO RETURN PHONE CALL. HOPEFULLY BRINGING THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF OUR DEPARTMENT WILL HELP ME RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM, AS IT'S SIMPLY NOT SAFE.

NHTSA ID
11180429
Incident
Feb 15, 2019
Mileage
19,250 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

B064725

SERVICE BRAKES

Protection Plate Return

B611305

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle “discharged battery” complaints.

B310124

SUSPENSION

With the vehicle is on a lift and the front struts are in the extended position, there may be a cracking and orclicking type noise when turning the steering wheel left/right. See attached video V31 01 24. The sound can reoccur when the vehicle is lowered, and the wheels are once again under load. The noise might also be heard for a short time while driving.

B360121

STEERING

At low outside temperatures (below 40 degrees F) and slow driving speeds (i.e. when parking, maneuvering)with a large steering angle, the front end can be slightly axially misaligned. This can be felt (jerking)/ heard via an acoustic acknowledgement (clunk) as seen at the 11 second mark of the video. See attached video V36 01 21.

B513218

STRUCTURE

The paint finish on the door jamb (above the door striker) is scratched due to the inner door cavity window seal.

B340714

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Functional noises (squealing/honking) when braking shortly before the vehicle comes to a stop. CAUSE Material-

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

BMW M2 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2024100—
2023010—
2022000—
2021120—
2020220—
2019010—
2018Viewing310—
2017170034.0
2016510—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.