BestCarRank
Bmw

2018 Bmw M5

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Excellent Reliability

Quick Summary

The 2018 Bmw M5 has 12 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.1x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (25% of all complaints), specifically: 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 a.

12

Total Complaints

0

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.1x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

3 complaints
25%
  • • 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 a
  • • 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
  • • 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.
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“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 a”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SEATS/RESTRAINTS

2 complaints
17%
  • • 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 pres
  • • 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.
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“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 pres”

— NHTSA complaint filing

AIR BAGS

2 complaints
17%
  • • 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 pres
  • • 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.
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“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 pres”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

1 complaints
8%
  • • 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
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“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”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

1 complaints
8%
  • • 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
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“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”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)
$500
SEATS/RESTRAINTS(~50K mi)
$500
AIR BAGS(~50K mi)
$500
FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)
$500
TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)
$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 12 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

  • ☐
    ENGINE: 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 a

    Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500

  • ☐
    SEATS/RESTRAINTS: 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 pres

    Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500

  • ☐
    AIR BAGS: 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 pres

    Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500

  • ☐
    FUEL SYSTEM: 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

    Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500

  • ☐
    General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)

Bmw M5 — Year Comparison

How does 2018 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.

2019
10Excellent Reliability
2018
12Excellent Reliability
2013
16Excellent Reliability
Full years-to-avoid analysis →

NHTSA Safety Rating

No NHTSA safety rating available

At a Glance

Complaints
12
Recalls
0
Fire reports
0
Crash reports
0
Injury reports
0
Segment avg
80

Check a Specific VIN

See recalls for YOUR 2018 Bmw M5

Compare With

2018 Acura ILX26 complaints2018 Acura MDX268 complaints2018 Acura RDX97 complaints2018 Acura RLX7 complaints