Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 BMW M8, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Vehicle speed control2
- Engine1
- Visibility1
- Service brakes1
- Electrical system1
- Forward collision avoidance1
- Fuel/propulsion system1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2020 BMW M8 failed the safety check 0.75% of the time — 36% less often than the average 2020 passenger car (1.18%). Median odometer at inspection: 18,813 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2020
1,227 new BMW M8 cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2020; the largest markets were Germany (539), the United Kingdom (204), Poland (55).
- Average mass
- 2,031 kg
- Average CO₂
- 255 g/km (WLTP)
- Average power
- 459 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Petrol 100%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
In the Netherlands
65 first registered in 2020 are on Dutch roads; 65% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €241,476.
Most common APK defects
- Band beschadigd10
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld10
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde8
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm7
- Band onvoldoende profiel4
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht3
- Koplamp met afwijkend lichtbeeld onjuist afgesteld2
- Slijtage/beschadiging wiellager hoorbaar of voelbaar1
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
271 cars built in 2020 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 24 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 175 of these cars first registered in 2020 took their annual MOT test. 86% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2020 the figure was 88%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 8.6% | 4.9% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 2.9% | 0.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.3% | 3.0% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Brakes | 0.6% | 1.8% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
6 of these cars first registered in 2020 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 50,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 1 variant; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 BMW M8 2 DR AWD | — | 0.0 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- —
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 4 variants: combined 13.8 L/100 km (about 17 mpg US), CO₂ 322 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| M8 Cabriolet · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 16.0 | 11.0 | 13.8 |
| M8 Cabriolet Competition · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 16.0 | 11.0 | 13.8 |
| M8 Coupe · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 16.0 | 11.0 | 13.8 |
| M8 Coupe Competition · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 16.0 | 11.0 | 13.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, M550i, X4M, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5M, X5 M50i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, Alpina XB7, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, and 8 Series Coupe, Convertible and Grand Coupe, 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8, 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le, 745Le xDrive, X5 xDrive45e, X3 xDrive30e, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M50i, X6M, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 740i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, M760i Drive, M760Li xDrive, 750Li xDrive Alpina, Alpina B7 xDrive, and 2021 4 Series Coupe 430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive vehicles. When shifting into Reverse, a small portion of the rearview image may be obscured, or the screen may not illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 8 Series Coupe, Grand Coupe and convertible 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8 and 740 Li, 740 Li xDrive, 750 Li xDrive, M760 Li xDrive, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xdrive50i, X6 M50i, X6M, and 2019-2021 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M50i, X5M, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, and 2021 M3, M3 Competition, M4 Coupe, M4 Competition Coupe, X5 xDrive45e, 745 Le xDrive. The rotor and shaft within the integrated brake system may not have been welded properly and could separate during a hard braking event, possibly resulting in a loss of the Antilock Brake System (ABS) and braking assistance.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 M5 and 2020 M8 Gran Coupe, M8 Coupe, and M8 Convertible vehicles. The transmission wiring harness can become damaged, resulting in an electrical short circuit.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What BMW told its dealers about the 2020 BMW M8: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11012076 | the Fuel Injector Condition-Specific Repair Coverage Program applies to qualifying repairs for the required replacement of one or more the fuel injectors which were determined to have failed due to a buildup of external corrosion in the engines center fuel injector bore area that resulted after this location was periodically contaminated by engine coolant residue over time. This special programs coverage is 15 years / 150,000 miles as determined from the vehicle's original in-service / first delivery date. |
| 11012066 | The NVLD limited emission related warranty for defects in materials or workmanship has been extended to 15 years/150,000 miles as determined from the original in-service date |
| 10253345 | BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective April 15, 2024) on certain Model Year 2018 - 2023 BMW vehicles that were produced between November 7, 2017, and September 9, 2022. |
| 10249437 | The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met. |
| 10249032 | The Central Information Display goes black intermittently due to resets of the Head Unit (HU-H3). FaultB7F8F9 HU-H: Reset will be stored in the HU-H3. |
| 10249027 | The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle discharged battery complaints. |
| 10249018 | At low outside temperatures (below 40 degrees F) and slow driving speeds (i.e. when parking, maneuvering)with a large steering angle, the front end can be slightly axially misaligned. This can be felt (jerking)/ heard via an acoustic acknowledgement (clunk) as seen at the 11 second mark of the video. See attached video V36 01 21. |
| 10249017 | SITUATION Unusual noises occur only when operating the steering column in the axial direction. 1. A one-time thump sound at the start of movement Shortly after the steering column starts moving, retracting, or extending, a one-time thump noise is heard. See attached video V32 03 23 2. Humming noise while steering column extends in the axial direction. The sound is only heard when the steering column is extended, not when the steering column is retracted. When the steering column starts to move in the extended direction, the humming noise can be heard. See attached video V32 04 23 |
| 10249015 | A vehicle arrives at your center to be diagnosed for a micro-leak in the fuel evaporative (EVAP) system(NVLD natural vacuum leak detection). For this condition, the following fault is stored in the DME: 190302 - fuel tank ventilation and scavenging air system, micro-leak: leakage more than 0.5mm For: Model vehicles other that the ones listed above, or for EVAP faults related to a large leak, after confirming that the fuel filler cap is fitted properly, then, proceed to follow the corresponding test plan |
| 10244237 | Functional noises (squealing/honking) when braking shortly before the vehicle comes to a stop. CAUSE Material- |
| 10242691 | ?Unusual noises occur only when operating the steering column in the axial direction. |
| 10239615 | BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective February 9, 2023) on certain Model Year 2022 - 2023 BMW vehicles that were produced between June 29, 2022 and February 16, 2023. |
| 10239614 | The air conditioning cycles from cold to warm air while driving or while at a stand still. The vent outlet temperatures vary by 25 degrees Fahrenheit or more (38 F to 60 F +) without changing any climate control settings. |
| 10239611 | Headlight check control (CC) message 128 "High beam headlight failure" is displayed. The following fault codes are stored during a vehicle test: 80419A - Left high-beam headlight: Short circuit and/or 8041A5 - light outputs: Number of permitted short circuit cycles exceeded |
| 10239610 | Condensation is present on the inner surfaces in one or both taillights (circled). |
| 10239604 | A groaning type noise is heard during the height adjustment. |
| 10239602 | A vehicle arrives at your center to be diagnosed for a micro-leak in the fuel evaporative (EVAP) system (NVLD natural vacuum leak detection). For this condition, the following fault is stored in the DME: 190302 - fuel tank ventilation and scavenging air system, micro-leak: leakage more than 0.5 mm. |
| 10239599 | With the introduction of the BMW Remote Software Upgrade, all Service Pack 18 vehicles and partial Service Pack 15 vehicles may receive new functionality or modifications in their features. |
| 10238093 | BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective February 9, 2023) on certain Model Year 2022 - 2023 BMW vehicles that were produced between June 29, 2022 and February 16, 2023. This was originally called ""Wireless Charging Tray"". Software in potentially affected vehicles may not recognize the removal of the digital key (Key Card or mobile phone) from the wireless charging tray, and thereby not meeting a federal requirement." |
| 10238090 | After programming the head unit (HU-H2), activating the FSC (German word Freischaltcode) Enabling Codes repeatedly fails. |
| 10238081 | Upon opening and closing the tailgate, a creaking/groaning sound can be heard from tailgate actuator. |
| 10236236 | Issues with the various functions of the camera-based driver assistance systems (KAFAS system) can possibly lead to following customer complaints: KAFAS camera system deactivates itself, due to system restrictions that are not clear to the customer KAFAS camera system cannot be activated due to system restrictions that are not clear to the customer Road signs are sporadically not detected. |
| 10235206 | Customer is shown an incorrect GPS location in the vehicle (i.e., Nav Map, coordinates). |
| 10235205 | The 3G network in the US has been shut down. This means that only the 4G network will be available. In the 4G network, voice calls will be transferred via the Voice over LTE (VoLTE) function. For this purpose, the SIM card must perform an IMS registration in the mobile communication network. Due to a production error, the telematics control units were delivered without an IMS configuration. The Connected Drive voice services (Concierge Call, BMW Assistance, and emergency call voice) can no longer be used regionally in the US in vehicle with telematics control units ATM-1 and TCB-4G. Voice cont |
| 10235203 | Customer states there is no audio playback (telephony, navigation, radio) and system sounds (PDC, turn indicators, acoustic signals) may also have failed. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)