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. the federal safety agency Recall 22V‑119 states the BMW PCV valve heaters can short circuit, overheat and cause a fire.
The worst 2018 BMW M3 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Fuel system6
- Engine2
- Electrical1
- Transmission1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Fuel system6
- Engine2
- Electrical1
- Transmission1
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 2018 BMW M3 55
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Protection Plate Return
- A turbine-like noise can be heard from the rear axle while deceleration during the first 300 miles of...
- The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few...
- With the vehicle is on a lift and the front struts are in the extended position, there may be a cracking...
- At low outside temperatures (below 40 degrees F) and slow driving speeds (i.e. when parking,...
- Functional noises (squealing/honking) when braking shortly before the vehicle comes to a stop
- Upon opening and closing the tailgate, a creaking/groaning sound can be heard from tailgate actuator.
- After programming the head unit (HU-H2), activating the FSC (German word Freischaltcode) Enabling Codes...
- Exterior rear lights do not work.
- The 3G network in the US has been shut down
2018 BMW M3 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6‑cyl | RWD | 17 | 24-25 | 20 |
What 2018 BMW M3 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
- 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.
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.
Forgot to include on initial complaint that cracked gas tank was identified by dealer. There was a previous the federal safety agency recall for the same platform, but did not include the 2018 model year.
After filling gas tank a strong aroma of gasoline was noticeable. This happened three successive times.
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
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.
Crank hub will be prone to spin and therefore will destroy engine which will require a full engine replacement.
Hello, I have a 2018 bmw m3 that is about 12 months old. There was a sirius xm (satellite radio) trial period of 1 year, and now that it is about to expire, there is an advertisement in my navigation window that comes up every time I turn on the car, that has to be cleared via pressing "ok" or else it doesn't go away. The safety concern is that if I turn on the car and go into reverse, the reverse camera will show but gets interrupted by the sirius xm advertisement, and doesn't come back until the advertisement to renew is manually cleared out. I almost reversed over a pedestrian in a parking lot when this happened the first time. I have spoken to bmw and sirius and both parties point fingers at the other side, although the problem is definitely a bmw problem. Check this forum for more information on this - https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1450130 the worst part about this is that bmw is saying this is not a warranty-covered issue and that I need to pay my bmw service shop $188 to have them "diagnose" the problem. They need to address this issue immediately. I believe the impetus for this "hotfix" can be from an agency such as yourself. Thank you.
Compare the 2018 BMW M3
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Questions about the 2018 BMW M3
Is the 2018 BMW M3 reliable?
Owners have filed 9 complaints about the 2018 BMW M3, fewer than a typical M3 model year.
What is the 2018 BMW M3 year score?
The 2018 BMW M3 scores 82 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the BMW M3: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 BMW M3?
Fuel and propulsion system, with 6 complaints. Next is engine (2).
How many recalls does the 2018 BMW M3 have?
No recalls on record.
What gas mileage does the 2018 BMW M3 get?
Official estimates for the 2018 BMW M3 range from 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.0L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 17 city and 24-25 highway.
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