Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
23–27 mpgcombined; city 19–24, highway 29–34; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$14,910–$17,500U.S. average; Ohio $14,050–$16,490 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
Owners have filed 43 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 4 Series. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Engine
14
2
1
2
Electrical system
9
1
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
8
0
0
0
Unknown or other
6
0
1
2
Seat belts
5
1
0
1
Air bags
4
3
0
4
Seats
3
2
0
2
Structure
3
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
2
0
0
1
Power train
2
0
0
0
Service brakes
2
1
0
0
Back over prevention
1
0
0
0
4 more parts
Lane departure
1
1
0
1
Tires
1
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
1
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2018 4 Series over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
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.
Risk: If the vehicle has an incompatible vehicle-sensitive locking mechanism, the seat belt may not restrain the seat occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary replace, the front seat belt assemblies, free of charge. The recall began October 13, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 199 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2018 4 Series, the latest on Sep 3, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (71), electrical system (61), engine and engine cooling (29), equipment adaptive/mobility (18), structure (18).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Engineering analysis EA21002 Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture · covers 37 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2018 4 Series.
EPA class: compact cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5–6 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
430i Rear-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
24 / 34 / 27
430i Rear-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
21 / 33 / 25
430i Gran Rear-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
24 / 34 / 27
430i xDrive All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
23 / 33 / 27
430i xDrive All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
22 / 32 / 26
430i xDrive Gran All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
23 / 33 / 27
440i Rear-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
21 / 32 / 25
440i Rear-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
21 / 29 / 24
440i Rear-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
19 / 29 / 23
440i Gran Rear-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
21 / 32 / 25
440i xDrive All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
21 / 31 / 25
440i xDrive All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
20 / 29 / 23
440i xDrive All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
19 / 29 / 23
440i xDrive Gran All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
21 / 31 / 25
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data