BMW M6 Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used BMW M6 options? We analyzed 10 model years (2009–2019) 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 M6 has 13 owner complaints and 12 safety recalls across model years 2009–2019. The most reported issue area is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. 2014 drew the most complaints; 2015 drew the fewest.
- Make
- BMW
- Model
- M6
- Model years analyzed
- 2009–2019 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 13
- Safety recall campaigns
- 12
- Crash-related complaints
- 0
- Fire-related complaints
- 1
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2014 (5 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2015 (0 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Reliability signal
- Good
By model year
BMW M6: 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.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings
What the complaint data suggests
GoodThe BMW M6 has 13 NHTSA complaints and 12 recalls on record. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 13 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 12 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
12 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:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
AIR BAGS
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2009–2019. 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 13 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
13 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.
3rd break lights start loosen by the nuts inside the break lights. The third brake light may become loose, possibly allowing the light to detach from the vehicle. Trying to contact BMW of North American and they said even the same model and years but not under the same production line and they won’t cover. The same issues happened with different production line means the car design has problem need fix by model and years.
1.I found the same issues the same as the NHTSA posted the recall number 20V094000 for my car. The 3rd brake lights starting lose and I bring my car to BMW dealership and they told me my car is not flag on it. The same year and the same model has the same problem but My car is not under the recall list. I have the BMW Invoice and Identify the problem is the 3rd brake lights screws lose and need replace. 2. Just start my car and the Passager airbag lights on. I haven't got any collision and just start the car at morning then the car shows the airbag malfunction. Scary to drive ... Any help for my case ?
PURCHASED VEHICLE WITH CLEAN CARFAX BUT WITHIN 1 WEEK IT WAS THROWING CODES OF DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER WHO REFUSED TO SERVICE PROVIDING INTEL THAT IT UNDERWENT A 152 POINT INSPECTION BEFORE SALE TOOK VEHICLE TO BMW DEALERSHIP SERVICE AND AFTER 2 1/2 MONTHS OF KEEPING THE CAR, BRINGING IN TOP RANKED BMW SPECIFIC MECHANICS, AND REBUILDING THE VEHICLE FOR OVER $18,000 THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE TO PAY....IT NOW WORKS PROPERLY THE COMPUTER ENGINE WAS FAULTY, THE DRIVETRAIN FAULTY, THE FUEL INJECTORS FAULTY, VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO BE DRIVEN WHEN DEALERSHIP SOLD IT TO ME AND BMW MUST HAVE SOME IDEA OF ISSUES SINCE THEY EXTENDED THE M SERIES MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY TO 10 YEARS 120,000 MILES ON THE ENGINE/DRIVETRAIN BUT ONLY SPECIFIC PARTS NOT SURROUNDING PARTS THAT MUST ALSO BE REPAIRED IN CONJUNCTION OF WARRANTY PARTS... THE VEHICLE WOULD DISPLAY 'DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION' GO INTO LIMP MODE AND STALL OUT AT ANY GIVEN TIME....THIS HAPPENED 4 TIMES ON THE HIGHWAY LATE AT NIGHT TO WHERE I WAS STRANDED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 BMW M6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CONVERTIBLE TOP, REAR WINDOW, AND TRUNK STOPPED WORKING PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PASSPORT BMW (4730 AUTH PL, SUITLAND-SILVER HILL, MD 20746, (301) 423-2700) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYDRAULIC PUMP FAILED; HOWEVER, THE TRUNK STILL WOULD NOT OPEN AND THE REAR WINDOW WOULD NOT COMPLETELY CLOSE. THE CONTACT BOUGHT THE VEHICLE ON JULY 6, 2019 AND THE WARRANTY DID NOT COVER THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE AND PROMISED A CALL BACK. THE DEALER OFFERED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE FOR A REDUCED FEE OF $2,000 INSTEAD OF THE FULL $4,836. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,600.
WHILE DRIVING ON A MULTI-LANE DIVIDED EXPRESSWAY AT 65MPH SUDDENLY THE ENGINE STALLED AND SHUT DOWN WHICH FORCED A VERY UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION. OTHER CARS DID NOT HAVE AMPLE TIME TO SLOW DOWN AND REACT NOR DID I. LUCKILY AFTER A FEW NARROW MISSES I MANAGED TO EVACUATE THE CAR. I WAS GETTING THE ERROR MESSAGE "DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION- REDUCED POWER OUTPUT" AND THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON WARNING LIGHT AT THE SAME INSTANCE IN TIME AS THE FAILURE OCCURRED (NOT BEFORE THE FAILURE OCCURED, BUT RATHER AT THE SAME TIME). THIS MADE FOR A VERY DANGEROUS, UNSAFE SITUATION THAT SCARED ME A GREAT DEAL. I'M SURE OTHER DRIVERS WERE ALARMED, TOO SINCE THIS IS A FAST MOVING MULTI-LANE EXPRESSWAY. THE CAR IS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD AND AFTER BEING TOWED TO THE UNITED BMW OF ROSWELL, GA I WAS INFORMED OF A LONG LIST OF FAILED COMPONENTS BY THE SERVICE REP. HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP, FUEL INJECTORS, CATALYTIC CONVERTOR, CAR BATTERY, SPARK PLUGS AND SEVERAL OTHERS. I WAS INFORMED I'D HAVE TO PAY SOME $4000 TO GET ALL THIS REPAIRED. I HOPE SOMETHING CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT SUCH DANGEROUS AND COSTLY MALFUNCTIONS IN THE FUTURE.THIS TRULY IS A BONA FIDE SAFETY ISSUE I CAN HONESTLY ATTEST TO IT.
I purchased my BMW 2016 in October of 2024. The BMW had 109,000 when I purchased it. It now has 112,000, I drove it twice to Dallas, Texas and only occasionally on the weekends, but has been garage kept most of the time since I purchased it from Dodge Bluebonnet Motors, 547 S. Sequin Ave, New Braunfels, Texas 78130, 830-606-8500, Soon after I purchased it, i started to hear a knocking underneath the car, I took the car to ProTech for service and the mechanic that specializes in foreign vehicles informed me that the BMW had major front end damage. When I purchased the vehicle from Bluebonnet they did inform me that there was minor collision to the BMW not major. The mechanic stated the BMW would be categorized as a Lemon. I want to return the vehicle and get refunded all of my payments that I have applied for resolution.
Read 7 more owner reports
My 2016 m6 bmw gran coupe, as if Sep. 27. 2024 I have passengers restrain and airbag malfunction , so many bmw owner's complain about this issue in the pass, it’s dangerous in case of an accident, please help with this issue god bleess
Passenger side have no power and passenger restraint failed,
THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE, STARTING IN THE ROOF. I SUSPECT THE CAUSE WAS ELECTRICAL. FROM THE TIME SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE HEADLINER/WINDSHIELD UNTIL IT WAS FULLY ENGULFED WAS ONLY ABOUT 5 MINUTES. MY GIRLFRIEND AND I WERE LUCKY TO GET OUT ALIVE. WE WERE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, OPERATING THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME ON CITY STREETS.
My 2018 BMW M6 which cost me almost $90,000 suddenly lost its suspension balance and height. Driving got bouncy, axles lost balance, driving turned hazardous. It was diagnosed that , The Virtual Dynamics Management module was fried and defected. The replacement cost $2,571.40 which Irvine California BMW made the recommended repair. After revisiting and researching the root cause, speaking with BMW certified master technicians, with 50+ years of working on MBW cars said, they never seen this defect nor this module failed before. They shared that this looks like a design flaw, with no recall and no history. I sent a certified letter dated Dec. 22, 2025 to BMW North America CEO Sebastian Mackensen and BMW Global CEO Oliver Zipse. Unfortunately, both did not read the letter. I was told they are too busy with other things, which is appalling. The letter was passed to their customer relations. They shared with me and confirmed that although this defect is rare, they will not reimburse me the cost of the repair since my car is out of warranty. I am aware that the car is out of warranty however they should stand and held accountable to the quality of the module since there are certified technicians shared with me that could have been a design flaw. This is not a wear and tear tear. Even BMW Service acknowledged that fact, especially with the vehicle that has been driven 34,000 miles. I believe this is a Safety issue. Suspension drops, uneven load shifts, and potential next corner could roll. Again, BMW admits it’s rare—meaning they know it happens—yet they won’t cover it. That’s not quality commitment. Based on what they constantly advertise. That’s policy over people.
Rear third brake light come loose, (I found all the nuts behind de leather of the car)causing the light to fall off. Also making the roof leak, water drain to the under seat, and the battery compartment, running thru the seat belt. This cause mold In the carpet under the rear seat and also in the battery compartment is located the fuel pump module, and the parking brake module, and un hopefully the is no water drain on that compartment, so it fills up with water. Low pressure fuel pump stop working and the parking brake too.
The contact owns a 2013 BMW M6. The contact stated that while driving at 80 MPH, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and was towed to the contact's residence. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact filed a complaint with the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.
HELLO, I BOUGHT A USED 2013 BMW M6 WITH ABOUT 77K MILES ON IT FROM DCH MONTCLAIR ACURA IN NJ, AND SINCE I BOUGHT IT THE CAR HAS HAD PROBLEMS AND I TRIED TO RETURN IT TO THEM A FEW TIMES BUT THEY JUST BRUSHED ME OFF AND CURRENTLY MY CAR NEEDS A NEW ENGINE AND IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP SINCE LAST YEAR (2020). THEY HAVE REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND ARE FORCING ME TO FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY AS MY ONLY OPTION OUT OF THIS CAR LOAN. THEY HAVE ALSO NOT PROVIDED ME WITH A SINGLE DIAGNOSTIC REPORT BUT ONLY REPAIR THE ORDER OF MINOR THINGS BEING FIXED. I HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC REPORT I GOT DONE SHORTLY AFTER GETTING THE CAR FROM THEM WHICH DOES NOT MATCH AT ALL WITH WHAT THEY STATED. THIS IS THE FIRST EVER CAR I PURCHASED. IT HAS A LOT OF MECHANICAL ISSUES WHICH WAS NOT SAFE FOR ME TO DRIVE A CAR THAT IS LEAKING ALL KINDS OF FLUIDS AND HAS ENGINE ISSUES. NONE OF THESE ISSUES WERE MADE APPARENT. ALL THE BEST, MUHAMMAD AHMED
Showing 13 of 13 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact BMW M6
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 M6, 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 M6 has 13 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 M6 has 12 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 M6's 13 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 M6 vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two BMW M6 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 M6 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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Check a BMW M6 by state
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used BMW M6.
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Keep researching before you buy
Compare brands and categories, then check the exact car's history by VIN.
BMW M6 reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the BMW M6 reliable?
Good. The BMW M6 has 13 NHTSA owner complaints and 12 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which BMW M6 years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2014 (5 complaints), 2016 (4 complaints), 2013 (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 M6 problems?
Top reported issues: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (5 complaints); ENGINE (5 complaints); STRUCTURE (4 complaints).
Does the BMW M6 have recalls?
Yes — 12 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the BMW M6. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.