AI Damage2018 BMW M5: common problems
Owners of the 2018 BMW M5 filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and air bags. The maker issued 159 service bulletins for this year. We found 1 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 159
- YouTube repair videos
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 50% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 25% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel/propulsion system 25% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 25% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 25% of all complaints
- Engine: 2 complaints (50% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 6.
- Air bags: 1 complaints (25% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 3.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 1 complaints (25% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
- Seat belts: 1 complaints (25% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (25% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 4.4 L · petrol · turbo · 8 cyl
- automatic, 8-speed
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 4 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 62 |
| Electrical system | 0 | 0 | 57 |
| Steering | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Engine and cooling | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Service brakes | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Backover prevention | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Exterior lighting | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Seats | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Visibility | 0 | 0 | 5 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
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
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.
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.
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.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,741 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (among the 17% least complained about).
On average one model year of the M5 has 2 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 4, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- The Fuel Injector Condition-Specific Repair Coverage Program applies to qualifying repairs for the…
The Fuel Injector Condition-Specific Repair Coverage Program applies to qualifying repairs for the required replacement of one or more the fuel injectors which were determined to have failed due to a buildup of…
- The Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Front Passenger’s Seat Occupancy Capacitive Interior Sensor (CIS)…
The Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Front Passenger’s Seat Occupancy Capacitive Interior Sensor (CIS) Mat for defects in materials and/or workmanship that causes a false seat occupancy alert to occur has been…
- A turbine-like noise can be heard from the rear axle while deceleration during the first 300 miles of…
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.
- Under certain driving situations, coolant leaks onto the fuel injectors on cylinder bank (5-8)
- BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective April 15, 2024) on certain Model Year 2018 - 2023 BMW…
BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective April 15, 2024) on certain Model Year 2018 - 2023 BMW vehicles that were produced between November 7, 2017, and September 9, 2022.
- One or more of the LED daytime running lights are dim or discolored
- The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met
- The Central Information Display goes black intermittently due to resets of the Head Unit (HU-H3)
FaultB7F8F9 ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂHU-H: ResetÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàwill be stored in the HU-H3.
- The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few…
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…
- 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…
- SITUATION Unusual noises occur only when operating the steering column in the axial direction
1. A one-time thump sound at the start of movement Shortly after the steering column starts moving, retracting, or extending, a one-time thump noise is heard. See attached video V32 03 23 2. Humming noise while…
- A vehicle arrives at your center to be diagnosed for a micro-leak in the fuel evaporative (EVAP)…
A vehicle arrives at your center to be diagnosed for a micro-leak in the fuel evaporative (EVAP) system(NVLD natural vacuum leak detection). For this condition, the following fault is stored in the DME: 190302 - fuel…
NHTSA lists 159 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2018 BMW M5?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, air bags, fuel/propulsion system. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (25%), jerking, harsh shifts (25%), overheating, coolant loss (25%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2018 BMW M5?
NHTSA lists 159 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2018 BMW M5 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2018 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.