The passenger seat occupancy sensor, an electrocapacitive mat (ecm), is defective on a large number of cars on the g30/fop platform including mine. This leads to intermittent sensor faults which cause an airbag warning.
The worst 2018 BMW M5 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Engine3
- Airbags2
- Body1
- Brakes1
- Fuel system1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine3
- Airbags2
- Body1
- Brakes1
- Fuel system1
- Seat belts1
- Seats1
- Transmission1
Recalls 3
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 530e, 530e xDrive, X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive, X3 M40i, X3 M, and 2019-2020 X4 xDrive, X4 M40i, X4 M, X7 xDrive, X7 M50i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 8 Series Convertible and Coupe 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, X5 sDrive, X5 xDrive, X5 M50i, X6 xDrive, X6 M50i, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, Z4 sDrive, Z4 M40i, 740Le xDrive and 745Le xDrive, 2018-2019 640i xDrive Gran Turismo and Rolls-Royce Phantom, 2019 M850i xDrive Gran Coupe and Rolls-Royce Cullinan and 2020 Toyota Supra vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
- Risk
- The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1‑877‑877‑3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1‑888‑270‑9371.
Recall number 19V684000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW M5 vehicles. The fuel level sensor in the fuel tank may become stuck against an in-tank fuel line, causing the fuel gauge to display an inaccurate and possibly larger amount of fuel than is actually available.
- Risk
- An incorrect fuel reading may lead to the vehicle stalling and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will secure the in-tank fuel line to keep the fuel line from contacting the fuel level sensor, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin September 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 18V473000 · Recall details
Electrical system: software
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW M5 vehicles. In certain driving conditions, the engine control unit software may cause the fuel pump to stop.
- Risk
- If the fuel pump stops, the vehicle will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the engine control unit software, free of charge. The recall began on June 25, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 18V323000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2018 BMW M5 208
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- The Fuel Injector Condition-Specific Repair Coverage Program applies to qualifying repairs for the...
- The Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Front Passenger’s Seat Occupancy Capacitive Interior Sensor (CIS)...
- The Fuel Injector Condition-Specific Repair Coverage Program applies to qualifying repairs for the...
- A turbine-like noise can be heard from the rear axle while deceleration during the first 300 miles of...
- 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
- 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 electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few...
- At low outside temperatures (below 40 degrees F) and slow driving speeds (i.e. when parking,...
2018 BMW M5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.4L 8‑cyl | AWD | 15 | 21 | 17 |
What 2018 BMW M5 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I had gotten into a head on collision in January. My insurance had refused to cover me because I had only been insured for a month. Now I’m trying to get it fix out of pocket. I’m finding out about more repairs needed ASAP. My engine might be gone.
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. My coils and spark plugs needed replacement along with the tank. This is unacceptable and BMW needs to address this issue.
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. I contacted BMW about it but because it is not presently acting out, they won't do anything about it unless I want to just start paying for new parts and do "exploratory" surgery on it trying to resolve this. Unacceptable as this has been happening for a couple of years and is a danger because of it happens during an accident it could prove fatal.
I almost had a terrible accident in my 2 week old 2018 m5 on the 1-95 highway on the night of may 25, 2018 at about 9:45pm. 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. I managed to guide it to the shoulder and turned off the ignition for 2minutes, after which I re-started the car and was able to engage drive. I contacted my dealership today, only to be informed, this was as a result of computer glitch controlling the fuel pump causing it to shut off without warning. I was told there has been a software patch to remedy this problem. If it is true, I believe the correction should have been done before the car was picked up or promptly notified to return the car for fixing. I could have been killed on the highway last night if not for my prompt situation awareness and experience in handling this powerful car which is my fourth m5 since 2006. Owners need to be notified immediately for fixes like this that can lead to fatal incidents. I don't know if anything similar has been reported about this model
Compare the 2018 BMW M5
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Questions about the 2018 BMW M5
Is the 2018 BMW M5 reliable?
Owners have filed 6 complaints about the 2018 BMW M5, 1.5 times a typical M5 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 BMW M5?
Engine and cooling, with 3 complaints. Next is airbags (2).
How many recalls does the 2018 BMW M5 have?
3 recalls, covering back over prevention, fuel system, gasoline and electrical system.
What gas mileage does the 2018 BMW M5 get?
Official estimates for the 2018 BMW M5 range from 17 mpg combined. The most efficient version (4.4L 8-cyl, AWD) gets 15 city and 21 highway.
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