Owners have filed 24 complaints on the BMW M6, covering 1988–2018. The system named most often is Steering (6 reports). Worst years by volume: 2014, 2007, 2016; cleanest: 2017, 2018, 1988. 0 reports describe a crash, 1 a fire. On average the car was 7.5 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on BMW M6
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 24 M6 complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Steering 6 Read
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…
Car stop working in the middle of freeway tires block panel show transmission malfunctioning electric problems in the past 3 years switch battery every six months
Driving when vehicle lost power wouldn't shift and then all wheels locked and vehicle died in the middle of traffic. Vehicle is has a electrical charge which shocks you when getting out of the vehicle
Electrical System 4 Read
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…
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…
Passenger side have no power and passenger restraint failed
Air Bags 4 Read
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
Car has 50k miles, and suffered premature airbag seat mat sensor failure (same design & manufacturer as other bmw's which were subject to recall of 200k units over this sensor). Airbag and SRS fault lights are on, and airbag is inoperative. Bmw declined to cover replacement, stating the recall doesn't cover this…
The driver's side air bag deployed after hitting a pothole. Please describe
Power Train 3 Read
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…
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…
Hydraulic unit faults. Car shift to neutral while I was driving in a busy highway. I was not able to select or change gears. Transmission was stuck in neutral gear. I was not able to restart the engine. I have noticed multiple consumers reviews and complaints about similar issues with bmw. Please help
Exterior Lighting 2 Read
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…
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…
Suspension 1 Read
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,…
Engine 1 Read
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…
Vehicle Speed Control 1 Read
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…
M6 years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Steering,suspension,vehicle Speed Control | — | — | |
| 2017 | Electrical System,structure | — | — | |
| 2016 | Air Bags,seat Belts,seats | — | 1 | |
| 2014 | Electrical System,structure | — | — | |
| 2013 | Engine | — | — | |
| 2008 | Steering,power Train,electrical System | — | — | |
| 2007 | Air Bags | — | — | |
| 2006 | Power Train | — | — | |
| 1988 | Air Bags | — | — |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 21 |
| Average complaints per series | 1.1 |
| Worst single series | 2 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 7.5 years |
A model average of 1.1 hides a worst series at 2. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the M6?
By complaint volume, 2014, 2007, 2016 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which M6 years are the cleanest?
2017, 2018, 1988 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the BMW M6 have?
24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 1988–2018. Of those, 0 describe a crash and 1 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.