Total Complaints
4 filings
BMW 230I · model year
4 NHTSA complaints, and 2 recall campaigns listed for this cohort. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2018BMW230I carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2018 230I is engine with 2 filings, followed by fuel/propulsion system (1) and wheels (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 2018 230I. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
Total Complaints
4 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE | 2 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 230i, 230i xDrive, M240i, M240i xDrive, M2, and X3 xDrive 30i SAV vehicles. These vehicles may have an error in the software for the instrument panel, causing the display to not properly illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply wi
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW 540d xDrive vehicles. The crankshaft sensor may be equipped with incorrect firmware, preventing the sensor from properly processing input from the crankshaft reluctor ring, possibly resulting in a vehicle stall. On September 12, 2018,
The coolant pipe from the engine cylinder head to the coolant reservoir broke unexpectedly which left us stranded on a narrow shoulder on the side of a busy highway with cars streaming by at high speed. A warning lamp directed us not to drive. Our safety was absolutely put at risk obviously. We had it towed to the closest shop doing BMWs. We had it fixed at significant expense. 5 months later, received a letter from BMW (see attached) wrote us admitting they had found this defect and were offering to replace the defective equipment at their cost if we brought it to the dealer. I called their customer service line who directed me to visit their nearest dealership an hour away and if the work we paid for was done correctly they would reimburse us. We drove and had the Dealer's mechanics verified that the work was done correctly. They referred to it as a RECALL on the verification paperwork.(see attached) I submitted the paperwork to BMW verifying the work was done and the invoice we p
I HAVE A 2018 2 SERIES XDRIVE CONVERTIBLE WITH 18' PIRELLI RUN FLAT TIRES. THIS IS MY SECOND 2 SERIES. I HAVE HAD 6 OF THESE TIRES BLOW DUE TO POTHOLES OVER THE TWO CARS I HAVE HAD OVER 4 YEARS. THE LAST ONE THAT BLEW WAS ON FRIDAY ON I65 JUST SOUTH OF LOUISVILLE. I HAD TO WAIT 4 HOURS FOR TOW TRUCK TO TAKE IT TO BMW OF LOUISVILLE. I PROCEEDED ONTO NASHVILLE. I PICKED THE CAR UP ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY. THE TIRES ARE 18' PIRELLI CINTURATO P7 A S RFT RUN FLAT. THIS IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. MY BMW SERVICE PERSON SAYS THIS HAPPENS SO OFTEN WITH THESE CARS. THIS BLOWOUT PATTERN IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. I NEED NOT TO BE TO BE WORRIED ALL THE TIME THAT A TIRE IS GOING TO BLOW WHEN A POTHOLE IS HIT. ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGHWAY. I MUST GET THEM CHANGED. I THINK THIS COULD BE A DEADLY PROBLEM. IT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO BY NHTSA.
Mileage: 12,000
DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT 65MPH, CAR ENGINE JUST SHUTS DOWN. NO POWER STEERING, NO WAY TO GET OVER. CAR DISPLAY SAYS DRIVE TRAIN ERROR. CAR GOT TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE, DEALER "FIXES" ISSUE. 2 DAYS LATER, EXACT SAME THING HAPPENS AGAIN ON THE FREEWAY AT 65MPH. ENGINE JUST SHUTS DOWN. TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER. STILL THERE, NO FIX YET. HOWEVER, HOW IS MY WIFE SUPPOSED TO FEEL SAFE IN THIS CAR NOW. IT CAN DIE ON THE FREEWAY AT ANYTIME AND YOU HAVE NO POWER AND TRAFFIC IS ZOOMING BY.
Mileage: 3,500
DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT 65MPH, CAR ENGINE JUST SHUTS DOWN. NO POWER STEERING, NO WAY TO GET OVER. CAR DISPLAY SAYS DRIVE TRAIN ERROR. CAR GOT TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE, DEALER "FIXES" ISSUE. 2 DAYS LATER, EXACT SAME THING HAPPENS AGAIN ON THE FREEWAY AT 65MPH. ENGINE JUST SHUTS DOWN. TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER. STILL THERE, NO FIX YET. HOWEVER, HOW IS MY WIFE SUPPOSED TO FEEL SAFE IN THIS CAR NOW. IT CAN DIE ON THE FREEWAY AT ANYTIME AND YOU HAVE NO POWER AND TRAFFIC IS ZOOMING BY.
Mileage: 3,500
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2018 BMW 230I; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.