2018 BMW M3

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. As in the past with BMW, there is a documented history of PCV-heater fires. NHTSA Recall 22V-119 states the BMW PCV valve heaters can short circuit, overheat and cause a fire.

NHTSA ID

11759039

Incident

Aug 5, 2026

- Fuel tank started slowly leaking fuel after filling tank up to full, only discovered after driving back home and noticing a strong smell of fuel. Repair records are with BMW of Sherman Oaks, CA. - Leaking fuel caused my garage to fill with strong odor of fuel which is unsafe as well as posing an extremely dangerous fire hazard with the exposed fuel leaking to the ground.\ - BMW Dealership inspected, verified no foul play and repaired the faulty part. - A CEL was displayed after which I shortly made a service appointment at BMW. It wasn't until filling the tank to full that I noticed the issue. As myself and others suspect, the leak could be due to the material that was used to construct the fuel tank, which is a plastic welding. My car only had ~21,000 before experiencing this issue and the replacement tank is of the same exact kind, so I expect this issue was not remediated by BMW and will probably experience this again.

NHTSA ID

11608984

Incident

Aug 3, 2024

2018 M3 gas tank has cracked on the top and gas slushes around and leaks out. I filled up my tank and gas started leaking from the bottom. 2015-2016 BMW covers it but mine is made in 2017 has the same issue but no recall. This is very dangerous because it’s gas related.

NHTSA ID

11597225

Incident

Jun 21, 2024

Forgot to include on initial complaint that cracked gas tank was identified by dealer. There was a previous NHTSA recall for the same platform, but did not include the 2018 model year.

NHTSA ID

11550627

Incident

Oct 16, 2023

After filling gas tank a strong aroma of gasoline was noticeable. This happened three successive times.

NHTSA ID

11550617

Incident

Oct 16, 2023

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Fuel tank rubber gasket failed How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Leaks large amount of fuel and can cause a fire or explosion Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes BMW technician looked over the repair. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warning lights

NHTSA ID

11537054

Incident

Jul 21, 2023

Fuel tank started leaking gasoline on the driver's side of the car. I only noticed because of the strong smell of gasoline and slipping a puddle of gas. I feel that my safety was at risk if I was to drive around with gasoline leaking out of the car that could have caused an explosion. I took the car to the dealership and the dealership will not cover the repair even though there is an emission warranty on the older versions of this car that have the same fuel tank issue. There was no warning light.

NHTSA ID

11534711

Incident

Jul 20, 2023

CRANK HUB WILL BE PRONE TO SPIN AND THEREFORE WILL DESTROY ENGINE WHICH WILL REQUIRE A FULL ENGINE REPLACEMENT. *TR

NHTSA ID

11289976

Incident

Dec 17, 2019

Mileage

8,000 mi

Protection Plate Return

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.

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.

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.

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.

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