Defect Summary: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive, and M4 convertible vehicles. The Emergency Locking Retractors (ELR) within the front seat belt assemblies may have been produced with incompatible vehicle-sensitive locking mechanism housings.
The 2018 BMW 4 Series is associated with 34 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 1 safety recall campaign in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Engine & Cooling, accounting for 6 reports (18% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 15 certified vehicle configurations spanning 2l 4-cyl and 3l 6-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 23 to 27 MPG combined. Detailed NHTSA crash-test ratings are not available in the current AutoUtility dataset for this model year. The 2018 BMW 4 Series belongs to the 1st generation (F32/F33/F36) 4 Series platform spanning model years 2015–2020.
- • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 34 reports
- • Safety Recall Campaigns: 1 campaign
- • Top Reported Defect Area: Engine & Cooling (6 / 18%)
- • Safety Incident Signals: 5 crash / 2 fire / 6 injury reports
- • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: Not rated by NHTSA
- • EPA Efficiency: 23–27 MPG (15 variants)
What is the fuel economy and range of the 2018 BMW 4 Series?
Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant
| Variant | Engine | Drivetrain | Transmission | City | Highway | Combined | EV Range | Est. Annual Fuel Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 430i Convertible | 2L 4-Cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 24 MPG | 34 MPG | 27 MPG | — | $2,800 / yr |
| 430i Coupe | 2L 4-Cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 24 MPG | 34 MPG | 27 MPG | — | $2,800 / yr |
| 430i xDrive Coupe | 2L 4-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 23 MPG | 33 MPG | 27 MPG | — | $2,800 / yr |
| 430i Gran Coupe | 2L 4-Cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 24 MPG | 34 MPG | 27 MPG | — | $2,800 / yr |
| 430i xDrive Gran Coupe | 2L 4-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 23 MPG | 33 MPG | 27 MPG | — | $2,800 / yr |
| 430i xDrive Convertible | 2L 4-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 22 MPG | 32 MPG | 26 MPG | — | $2,900 / yr |
| 430i Coupe | 2L 4-Cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 21 MPG | 33 MPG | 25 MPG | — | $3,050 / yr |
| 440i Coupe | 3L 6-Cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 21 MPG | 32 MPG | 25 MPG | — | $3,050 / yr |
| 440i xDrive Coupe | 3L 6-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 21 MPG | 31 MPG | 25 MPG | — | $3,050 / yr |
| 440i Gran Coupe | 3L 6-Cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 21 MPG | 32 MPG | 25 MPG | — | $3,050 / yr |
| 440i xDrive Gran Coupe | 3L 6-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 21 MPG | 31 MPG | 25 MPG | — | $3,050 / yr |
| 440i Convertible | 3L 6-Cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 21 MPG | 29 MPG | 24 MPG | — | $3,150 / yr |
| 440i xDrive Convertible | 3L 6-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | 20 MPG | 29 MPG | 23 MPG | — | $3,300 / yr |
| 440i xDrive Coupe | 3L 6-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 19 MPG | 29 MPG | 23 MPG | — | $3,300 / yr |
| 440i Coupe | 3L 6-Cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 19 MPG | 29 MPG | 23 MPG | — | $3,300 / yr |
What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2018 BMW 4 Series?
Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
| Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant | Overall Rating | Frontal Crash | Side Crash | Rollover Rating | Rollover Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C AWD | — | ||||
| 2 DR AWD | — | ||||
| 4 DR AWD | — | ||||
| C RWD | — | ||||
| 2 DR RWD | — | ||||
| 4 DR RWD | — |
Optional and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Optional in official NHTSA records for tested 2018 BMW 4 Series models.
What defect complaints are reported for the 2018 BMW 4 Series?
Summary of 34 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)
Top Reported Problem Categories
Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA
Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.
View all 2018 BMW 4 Series problems & component breakdown (20 categories) →Are there open safety recalls on the 2018 BMW 4 Series?
Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA
The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
- NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
- U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.