Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
16 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
26,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1991 to 2019 model years. Data updated: . 4 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Owner-reported patterns
Most common problems
Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 4 of 16 complaints (25.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic
Matching reports
Share of complaints
Braking behavior
3
18.8%
Transmission and shifting
1
6.3%
Electrical and battery issues
1
6.3%
Steering behavior
1
6.3%
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
Air Bags
4
Exterior Lighting:Headlights
4
Electrical System
2
Engine
2
Power Train
2
Unknown Or Other
2
Engine And Engine Cooling
1
Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System
1
Component breakdown data
Category
Count
Air Bags
4
Exterior Lighting:Headlights
4
Electrical System
2
Engine
2
Power Train
2
Unknown Or Other
2
Engine And Engine Cooling
1
Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System
1
Air Bags: 4; Exterior Lighting:Headlights: 4; Electrical System: 2; Engine: 2; Power Train: 2; Unknown Or Other: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
Under 25,000
2
25,000 to 49,999
1
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
1
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
Category
Count
Under 25,000
2
25,000 to 49,999
1
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
1
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (2). 12 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
Air Bags leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 1 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 534382 · 1998-04-20 (April 20, 1998)
BRAKES CONTINUE TO FAIL ALMOST RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT.
ON OR ABOUT DEC. 3, WHILE DRIVING THROUGH JAMESTOWN, NC , NO VEHICLES IN CLOSE PROXIMITY AND WITH MY WIFE'S FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED. ONLY TIME IT HAPPENED. ON JAN. 14, 2021, WHILE PARKING THE AUTO AND WITH MY WIFE'S FOOT COVERING THE BRAKE PEDDLE, THE CAR SUDDENDLY ACCERATED INTO A BUILDING. AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED AND WITH HER FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THE CAR NEVER SHUT OFF. IT JUST KEPT ACCELERATING INTO BUILDING. IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS ON FIRE. BMW SENT A CORPORATE TECH TO EVALUATE. WITH NO LETTERS OR E-MAIL, WE RECEIV…
Behind the cupholder the shifting unit is unsealed and liquids spill are causing shifting issues to the shifting control module. Also the Airbag sensor is under the same gap which can cause airbag malfunction. There are numerous reports on forums with all model types 2019+, not limited to the 8 series. This is a design flaw on the new center console shifting seal. This is is a life threatening defect, already a open recall for the wire routing under the shifter for the 8 series, same area.
BATTERY INSUFFICIENT CHARGE TO INITIATE REMOTE START. THE CAR AND BATTERY ARE NEW. ON THE DATE OF AUTO PURCHASE THEY NOTED THAT THE BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED WHICH THEY DID AT NO COST BUT NOW IT IS NOT RETAINING CHARGE IN COLD WEATHER IN MINNESOTA.
STARTED MY BMW 850I, DRIVE HALF A BLOCK DOWN THE STREET, THE AIRBAG BLOW , BURN MY HANDS. I CAN TAKE PICTURE OF THE BROKEN AIRBAG IN THE STEERING WHEEL IF NEEDED.
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
16 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
25.0%Usable mileage4 / 16 records
87.5%Valid incident date14 / 16 records
100.0%Valid filing date16 / 16 records
87.5%Ordered incident and filing dates14 / 16 records
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
Component complaint heatmap
Component
2019
Air Bags
342.9%ODI 11394846 · 8,000 mi
ON OR ABOUT DEC. 3, WHILE DRIVING THROUGH JAMESTOWN, NC , NO VEHICLES IN CLOSE PROXIMITY AND WITH MY WIFE'S FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED. ONLY TIME IT HAPPENED. ON JAN. 14, 2021, WHILE PARKING THE AUTO AND WITH MY WIFE'S FOOT COVERING THE BRAKE PEDDLE, THE CAR SUDDENDLY ACCERATED INTO A BUILDING. AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED AND WITH HER FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THE CAR NEVER SHUT OFF. IT JUST KEPT ACCELERATING INTO BUILDING. IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS ON FIRE. BMW SENT A CORPORATE TECH TO EVALUATE. WITH NO LETTERS OR E-MAIL, WE RECEIV…
BATTERY INSUFFICIENT CHARGE TO INITIATE REMOTE START. THE CAR AND BATTERY ARE NEW. ON THE DATE OF AUTO PURCHASE THEY NOTED THAT THE BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED WHICH THEY DID AT NO COST BUT NOW IT IS NOT RETAINING CHARGE IN COLD WEATHER IN MINNESOTA.
2019 M850i XDrive. Consumer writes regarding unintended acceleration of vehicle. THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE VEHICLE SURGED OVER A RETAINING WALL INTO THE SECOND FLOOR OF A BUILDING. SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY.
Behind the cupholder the shifting unit is unsealed and liquids spill are causing shifting issues to the shifting control module. Also the Airbag sensor is under the same gap which can cause airbag malfunction. There are numerous reports on forums with all model types 2019+, not limited to the 8 series. This is a design flaw on the new center console shifting seal. This is is a life threatening defect, already a open recall for the wire routing under the shifter for the 8 series, same area.
The software update was transferred from phone to the car. But would not install on the car. The issue has been raised by multiple people on various BMW forums. The clutch appears to be from BMW servers and service locations instead of dealing with root cause are trying to charge customers 350 -450 dollar to manually load gbs software. As a purchaser of the vehicle with automated software updates it is unreasonable to charge for manual update where a over the air software should work Please contact me at [XXX] to discuss my issue and others wit…
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
Component failure mileage distribution
Component
Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)
Median
Usable records
Examples
Air Bags
Too few reports for a range
43,000 mi
2 (sparse)
ODI 11040836 · 78,000 mi
STARTED MY BMW 850I, DRIVE HALF A BLOCK DOWN THE STREET, THE AIRBAG BLOW , BURN MY HANDS. I CAN TAKE PICTURE OF THE BROKEN AIRBAG IN THE STEERING WHEEL IF NEEDED.
ON OR ABOUT DEC. 3, WHILE DRIVING THROUGH JAMESTOWN, NC , NO VEHICLES IN CLOSE PROXIMITY AND WITH MY WIFE'S FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED. ONLY TIME IT HAPPENED. ON JAN. 14, 2021, WHILE PARKING THE AUTO AND WITH MY WIFE'S FOOT COVERING THE BRAKE PEDDLE, THE CAR SUDDENDLY ACCERATED INTO A BUILDING. AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED AND WITH HER FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THE CAR NEVER SHUT OFF. IT JUST KEPT ACCELERATING INTO BUILDING. IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS ON FIRE. BMW SENT A CORPORATE TECH TO EVALUATE. WITH NO LETTERS OR E-MAIL, WE RECEIV…
BATTERY INSUFFICIENT CHARGE TO INITIATE REMOTE START. THE CAR AND BATTERY ARE NEW. ON THE DATE OF AUTO PURCHASE THEY NOTED THAT THE BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED WHICH THEY DID AT NO COST BUT NOW IT IS NOT RETAINING CHARGE IN COLD WEATHER IN MINNESOTA.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW M850I. The contact stated that gear shifter became stuck in gear. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
Monthly complaint and recall timeline
Month
Complaints
Campaigns announced
Examples
2024-11
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2024-12
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-01
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-02
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-03
1
None
ODI 11647304 · 40,000 mi
The contact owns a 2019 BMW M850I. The contact stated that gear shifter became stuck in gear. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
1995: 0 complaints · 2019: 4 complaints
Equal observation windows
Model year
Through age 0
Through age 1
Through age 2
1995
0
0
0
2019
0
0
4
Date coverage across each selected cohort
Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year
Incident dates used
Filing date fallbacks
Excluded dates
1995
0
0
0
2019
7
0
0
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
Component co-occurrence matrix
Component
Air Bags
Exterior Lighting:Headlights
Electrical System
Engine
Power Train
Unknown Or Other
Engine And Engine Cooling
Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System
Air Bags
—
0
1ODI 11435507
Behind the cupholder the shifting unit is unsealed and liquids spill are causing shifting issues to the shifting control module. Also the Airbag sensor is under the same gap which can cause airbag malfunction. There are numerous reports on forums with all model types 2019+, not limited to the 8 series. This is a design flaw on the new center console shifting seal. This is is a life threatening defect, already a open recall for the wire routing under the shifter for the 8 series, same area.
2019 M850i XDrive. Consumer writes regarding unintended acceleration of vehicle. THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE VEHICLE SURGED OVER A RETAINING WALL INTO THE SECOND FLOOR OF A BUILDING. SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY.
Behind the cupholder the shifting unit is unsealed and liquids spill are causing shifting issues to the shifting control module. Also the Airbag sensor is under the same gap which can cause airbag malfunction. There are numerous reports on forums with all model types 2019+, not limited to the 8 series. This is a design flaw on the new center console shifting seal. This is is a life threatening defect, already a open recall for the wire routing under the shifter for the 8 series, same area.
Behind the cupholder the shifting unit is unsealed and liquids spill are causing shifting issues to the shifting control module. Also the Airbag sensor is under the same gap which can cause airbag malfunction. There are numerous reports on forums with all model types 2019+, not limited to the 8 series. This is a design flaw on the new center console shifting seal. This is is a life threatening defect, already a open recall for the wire routing under the shifter for the 8 series, same area.
Behind the cupholder the shifting unit is unsealed and liquids spill are causing shifting issues to the shifting control module. Also the Airbag sensor is under the same gap which can cause airbag malfunction. There are numerous reports on forums with all model types 2019+, not limited to the 8 series. This is a design flaw on the new center console shifting seal. This is is a life threatening defect, already a open recall for the wire routing under the shifter for the 8 series, same area.
2019 M850i XDrive. Consumer writes regarding unintended acceleration of vehicle. THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE VEHICLE SURGED OVER A RETAINING WALL INTO THE SECOND FLOOR OF A BUILDING. SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY.
The Coolant tank is known to have and cause leakage by possible high temperatures and over-expansion. When this happens the coolant leaks all over critical engine components such as fuel injectors causing a short and risk of fire. Leaking coolant can also cause many other safety problems such as slippery brakes and/or tires. Fortunately, this hasn't happened to my vehicle yet. I have spoken with several owners who have had this issue happen to them. It would be worth investigating to see if a safety recall is needed. Preventative measures shoul…
Behind the cupholder the shifting unit is unsealed and liquids spill are causing shifting issues to the shifting control module. Also the Airbag sensor is under the same gap which can cause airbag malfunction. There are numerous reports on forums with all model types 2019+, not limited to the 8 series. This is a design flaw on the new center console shifting seal. This is is a life threatening defect, already a open recall for the wire routing under the shifter for the 8 series, same area.
Behind the cupholder the shifting unit is unsealed and liquids spill are causing shifting issues to the shifting control module. Also the Airbag sensor is under the same gap which can cause airbag malfunction. There are numerous reports on forums with all model types 2019+, not limited to the 8 series. This is a design flaw on the new center console shifting seal. This is is a life threatening defect, already a open recall for the wire routing under the shifter for the 8 series, same area.
The Coolant tank is known to have and cause leakage by possible high temperatures and over-expansion. When this happens the coolant leaks all over critical engine components such as fuel injectors causing a short and risk of fire. Leaking coolant can also cause many other safety problems such as slippery brakes and/or tires. Fortunately, this hasn't happened to my vehicle yet. I have spoken with several owners who have had this issue happen to them. It would be worth investigating to see if a safety recall is needed. Preventative measures shoul…
THIS CAR LOSES COOLANT, OVERHEATS, AND BLOWS A HEAD GASKET, AND NOW POSSIBLY NEEDS NEW CYLINDER HEADS. BMW MECHANIC STATES THAT THE TEMPERATUTE GAUGE IS NOT SUPPOSED TO TELL YOU THE ENGINE IS OVERHEATING IF THE COOLANT HAS ALREADY COMPLETELY LEAKED OUT OF THE SYSTEM. THAT THE GAUGE DOES NOT REGISTER THE EMPTY AIR IN A NOW EMPTY COOLANT SYSTEM. IN MY OPINION THE TEMP GUAGE SHOULD TELL ME THE POSSIBILITY OF MY CAR OVERHEATING SO THAT I CAN SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND HAVE IT REPAIRED. THIS HAS OCCURRED TWICE($5,000 FIRST TIME) AND NOW AN ESTIMAT…
THIS CAR LOSES COOLANT, OVERHEATS, AND BLOWS A HEAD GASKET, AND NOW POSSIBLY NEEDS NEW CYLINDER HEADS. BMW MECHANIC STATES THAT THE TEMPERATUTE GAUGE IS NOT SUPPOSED TO TELL YOU THE ENGINE IS OVERHEATING IF THE COOLANT HAS ALREADY COMPLETELY LEAKED OUT OF THE SYSTEM. THAT THE GAUGE DOES NOT REGISTER THE EMPTY AIR IN A NOW EMPTY COOLANT SYSTEM. IN MY OPINION THE TEMP GUAGE SHOULD TELL ME THE POSSIBILITY OF MY CAR OVERHEATING SO THAT I CAN SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND HAVE IT REPAIRED. THIS HAS OCCURRED TWICE($5,000 FIRST TIME) AND NOW AN ESTIMAT…
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
2 patterns with matching reports.
Brake response concerns
1 mentions · 6.3% of complaints
Median mileage: 8,000 mi (1 usable records).
ODI 11394846 · 8,000 mi
ON OR ABOUT DEC. 3, WHILE DRIVING THROUGH JAMESTOWN, NC , NO VEHICLES IN CLOSE PROXIMITY AND WITH MY WIFE'S FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED. ONLY TIME IT HAPPENED. ON JAN. 14, 2021, WHILE PARKING THE AUTO AND WITH MY WIFE'S FOOT COVERING THE BRAKE PEDDLE, THE CAR SUDDENDLY ACCERATED INTO A BUILDING. AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED AND WITH HER FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THE CAR NEVER SHUT OFF. IT JUST KEPT ACCELERATING INTO BUILDING. IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS ON FIRE. BMW SENT A CORPORATE TECH TO EVALUATE. WITH NO LETTERS OR E-MAIL, WE RECEIV…
The contact owns a 2019 BMW M850I. The contact stated that gear shifter became stuck in gear. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.