Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1988 BMW M6, most frequently naming the airbags category. 3 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.
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 2 months of data.
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN ONTO AN INTERSECTION AND WITHOUT WARNING DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG WENT OFF WITHOUT PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. DRIVER WENT TO THE HOSPITAL THE NEXT DAY DUE TO HEADACHES. THERE WERE NO FATALITIES TO REPORT AT THIS TIME. THE DEALER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.*AK *PH *NLM
THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AFTER HITTING A POTHOLE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Functional noises (squealing/honking) when braking shortly before the vehicle comes to a stop. CAUSE Material-
SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY
BMW: A GRINDING NOISE IS COMING FROM THE DIFFERENTIAL DURING SLOW CORNERING. WHEN TURNING A SLIP/STICK EFFECT IS CREATED ON THE LINING AND STEEL DISCS INCORPORATED IN THE DIFFERENTIAL CLUTCH CAUSES A GRINDING NOISE. *RM
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
S85 ENGINE OIL LEVEL AND OIL SERVICE INFORMATION. *AK
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.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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.