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2018 BMW M3

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 2 of 9 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports

What owners actually said

9 reports
Mileage unknown · Aug 24, 2026
Electrical SystemEngineFire

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 th…

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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 ODI #11759039

Mileage unknown · Aug 16, 2024
Fuel/propulsion System

- 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…

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- 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 ODI #11608984

Mileage unknown · Jun 27, 2024
Fuel/propulsion SystemUnknown Or Other

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 ODI #11597225

Mileage unknown · Oct 18, 2023
Fuel/propulsion System

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 ODI #11550627

Mileage unknown · Oct 18, 2023
Fuel/propulsion System

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

NHTSA ODI #11550617

Mileage unknown · Aug 7, 2023
Fuel/propulsion System

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 …

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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 ODI #11537054

Mileage unknown · Jul 27, 2023
Fuel/propulsion System

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 dea…

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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 ODI #11534711

8,000 miles · Dec 18, 2019
EnginePower Train

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

NHTSA ODI #11289976

13,500 miles · Apr 4, 2019
Unknown Or Other

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 SAF…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11193822

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.