BMW M240i Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used BMW M240i options? We analyzed 10 model years (2017–2026) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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Model-year trends show patterns — they can't tell you whether this car was crashed, flooded, or rolled back. A VIN check can.
- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the BMW M240i has 10 owner complaints and 8 safety recalls across model years 2017–2026. The most reported issue area is EXTERIOR LIGHTING. 2022 drew the most complaints; 2023 drew the fewest.
- Make
- BMW
- Model
- M240i
- Model years analyzed
- 2017–2026 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 10
- Safety recall campaigns
- 8
- Crash-related complaints
- 0
- Fire-related complaints
- 1
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2022 (4 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2023 (0 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- Reliability signal
- Good
By model year
BMW M240i: which years to avoid & which to buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
NCAP crash test ratings for this model are not yet loaded or this vehicle was not tested in the years analyzed. NHTSA tests a subset of new vehicles each year. Check nhtsa.gov/ratings directly for the latest results.
What the complaint data suggests
GoodThe BMW M240I has 10 NHTSA complaints and 8 recalls on record. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 10 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 8 federal recall campaigns
- No crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Aug 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
8 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
AIR BAGS:KNEE BOLSTER
AIR BAGS:KNEE BOLSTER
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
SEAT BELTS
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017–2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 10 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
10 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED IN DECEMBER 2020 WITH THIRTY THOUSAND MILES ON IT. IT IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION WITH THE ORIGINAL BMW RIMS, BUT WE HAVE HAD TWO RIM FRACTURES ON TWO SEPARATE TIRES WITHIN THE LAST TWO MONTHS. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WE HAD THE RIM REFURBISHED. THE SECOND EVENT WHICH WAS ON AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT TIRE THE RIM FRACTURED IN THE CENTER AND DESTROYED THE TIRE. THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO RECALLS ON THESE TIRES BUT THERE ARE MANY REFURBISHED ONLINE FOR SALE AND SO I AM CONCERNED THESE ARE INFERIOR AND DANGEROUS RIMS. I WILL SUBMIT A PHOTO OF THE FRACTURED RIM FROM THE LAST EVENT. THANK YOU.
INSTRUMENT GUAGES FOR SPEEDO AND TACH ARE NOT BACK LIT AND ARE NOT LEGIBLE UNDER DAYTIME DIM LIGHTING CONDITIONS. THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION. THE NUMERALS DO NOT CONTRAST WITH THE DIAL AND NO LIGHT CONDITION WILL LIGHT THE DIALS ENOUGH TO SEE DURING THE DAY. THE DIALS APPEAR "BLACKED OUT"
PASSENGER AIRBAG MALFUNCTION LIGHT PERSISTENT ISSUE ## VIN PASSED ## BMW M240 2017 ##
2018 BMW M240i - no sound from radio, or any aux input. May be blown amplifier. Extremely loud crackling sound, intermitent sound.
Each of the two LED taillights have failed. The right rear LED turn signal failed in the Spring of 2022 when the car had approximately 12,000 miles of use and the left rear LED turn signal failed in the Fall of 2023 when the car had approximately 15,000 miles of use.
The contact owns a 2025 BMW M240i. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked and unattended in an underground garage and covered for an unknown reason. Upon returning to the vehicle the following day and attempting to open the doors with the key Fob, the doors failed to open, requiring the contact's husband to use the BMW mobile app to open the doors. Upon entering the vehicle, it was discovered that the interior of the vehicle was burnt. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer referred the contact to the insurance company. The manufacturer was contacted and had sent engineers who inspected the vehicle and determined that a BIC lighter found inside the vehicle might have caused the fire and explosion. The BIC manufacturer was notified of the failure. The BMW manufacturer advised the contact to obtain a third-party investigation. The failure mileage was approximately 9,536.
Read 4 more owner reports
Head lights fogging up in every 2 series bmw starting from year 2022 to current. During a rainy environment the lights fog up bad enough to affect seeing the roads. This does affect the BMW M2 and the BMW M240i. Safety issue flat out. To test Put a 2023 BMW M2 or M240i driving in the rain and you will see the headlight lens fog up bad.
To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally request that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigate and expand Recall 23V-770 concerning defective steering gear assemblies to include 2022 BMW G42 vehicles. I currently own a 2022 BMW G42 with approximately 20,000 miles that is experiencing the same steering gear failure described in Recall 23V-770. My vehicle is now just outside of BMW’s factory warranty period, and I have been informed that the repair costs are estimated to be nearly $10,000. Due to the severity of the steering issue, I do not believe this vehicle is safe to operate. After researching the recall and repair information, I discovered that the 2022 BMW G42 utilizes the same steering system and identical replacement part numbers associated with the recalled vehicles covered under Recall 23V-770. The symptoms, repair procedure, and affected steering gear components are identical. I believe the exclusion of the 2022 model year may have been related to the relatively limited number of vehicles shipped to the United States during and immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic, rather than the absence of the defect itself. In my opinion, the defect clearly exists in 2022 production vehicles as evidenced by my current steering gear failure. This issue represents a serious safety concern because steering gear malfunction can impair steering responsiveness and vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. A steering system failure on a vehicle with only 20,000 miles is unacceptable and strongly suggests a manufacturing or component defect rather than ordinary wear and tear. I respectfully request that NHTSA: Investigate whether 2022 BMW G42 vehicles contain the same defective steering gear assemblies identified in Recall 23V-770; Review the component and part number similarities between the recalled vehicles and the 2022 BMW G42 platform. BMW has already determined this is the problem affecting this vehicle. Thank you
Subject: Request for Re-Evaluation and Expansion of Recall 23V-770 – Steering Gear Failure I am submitting this letter to formally request that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) re-evaluate Recall 23V-770 concerning defective steering gear assemblies and investigate additional affected vehicles from the 2022 model year. Vehicles sold during the 2022 production year appear to experience the same steering gear defect identified in Recall 23V-770. The steering gear assemblies installed in these vehicles use the exact same part numbers as the components already covered under the existing recall. Due to COVID-era production and supply limitations, relatively few of these vehicles were imported and sold in the United States during 2022. As vehicle mileage accumulates, owners are now beginning to experience steering gear failures, many occurring at or before 20,000 miles. These failures indicate that the defect may not be limited to the currently recalled production range. The evidence strongly suggests that additional 2022 vehicles equipped with the same steering gear assemblies should be included in the recall population. This issue presents a serious safety concern due to the potential for loss of steering control and increased crash risk. I respectfully request that NHTSA: • Investigate 2022 vehicles equipped with the same steering gear part numbers covered under Recall 23V-770 • Review warranty claims, field reports, and dealership repair records related to premature steering gear failure • Determine whether the recall scope should be expanded to include these additional vehicles I appreciate your attention to this matter and your continued commitment to public
I have owned a 2022 BMW M240i for a few years now, and as it ages out of warranty, I have replaced both headlights a total of 4 times. I fear additional pairs will be required as unfortunately these headlights tend to crack from regular driving. I have spent a few hours on a couple different M240i user generated resources, and there are several reports of this model's headlights cracking either due to improper housings from factory, or being overly tightened. The end result is the same, however, a complete or mostly complete fogging of the headlight reducing illumination of the light(s) to almost nil. I have spoken to several BMW reps and they tell me there is no fix for this issue and that it persists even in the newer models, including the 2025. That's 4 years in total of a model with faulty headlight assemblies and the only fix BMW has is to replace these $2k headlights with a new set that will eventually incur the same issue. This needs to be addressed with a TSB or a remodel of the headlight housing entirely. It's unfair to consider headlight assemblies as wear/tear items when no collision has occurred. The main issue, however, is the lack of safety this will inevitably cause at night while driving on dark roads with only 15-20% light output.
Showing 10 of 10 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact BMW M240i
These pages show model-year patterns across 10 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used BMW M240i, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The BMW M240i has 10 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The BMW M240i has 8 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 0 of the BMW M240i's 10 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Good) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all BMW M240i vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two BMW M240i vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The BMW M240i has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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BMW M240i reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the BMW M240i reliable?
Good. The BMW M240i has 10 NHTSA owner complaints and 8 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is EXTERIOR LIGHTING. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which BMW M240i years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2022 (4 complaints), 2017 (3 complaints), 2018 (2 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common BMW M240i problems?
Top reported issues: EXTERIOR LIGHTING (4 complaints); ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (2 complaints); STEERING (2 complaints).
Does the BMW M240i have recalls?
Yes — 8 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the BMW M240i. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.