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Among the lineup of luxury cars, the 2018 BMW 430i catches a lot of attention. The unique styling is dramatic and it appears to be a high-powered model that draws drivers in. Even the automaker claims that the new models are “styled to thrill,” however the design might be all that makes this vehicle unique. It suffers from electrical malfunctions, unsafe seats and a poorly-built structure.
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2018 BMW 430i
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Engine | |
| Seats | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System:pump | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Power Train | |
| Tires | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Seat Belts |
Problems with the Electrical System
Modern luxury cars are equipped with high-tech features that make driving easier than ever. When these systems begin to fail, the drive can be quite disastrous.
Here is what one Edmunds user said about electrical issues. “Well what a terrible experience! This cars A/C hasn’t worked in 3 months. The dealer said it could have been possibly caused by a rock so the warranty won’t cover it. Also BMW changed the A/C system in 2018 so it is very difficult to find anyone who can charge the A/C! The water pump had to be replaced already and both tail lights now have to be replaced for condensation.”
The problem highlighted above is related to the electrical components of the air conditioning, but everything runs on the electrical system of today’s vehicles. When there is a glitch, owners can experience significant safety concerns as well as nuisances. One such nuisance that quickly becomes a safety issue is illustrated in Service Bulletin #B840719. BMW acknowledges that the Bluetooth connection can be lost during a phone call. Instead of projecting the call across the system, it will revert back to the phone. As a driver attempts to figure out where the call went, an accident could occur. It seems the 430i has some wires crossed that makes this luxury car a lemon.
Problems with the Seats
Most people don’t give much thought to the seating until a long drive occurs. While the seating is important for comfort, there’s also a safety factor.
Look at the danger this NHTSA complaint points out. “The contact owns a 2018 BMW 430i. The contact stated that while reversing into a parking space, the contact’s foot slipped off the brake and onto the accelerator pedal. The vehicle accelerated in reverse and crashed into a telephone pole. The front driver’s seat collapsed out of place and fell backwards. No airbags deployed. The contact sustained neck injuries and the passenger sustained none. The contact was taken to the hospital where she stayed overnight and they confirmed the contact sustained ligament damage. A police report was made. The vehicle was towed by the police to a collision center. The dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.”
Sadly, this isn’t the only safety-related issue to be concerned about. Recall Number 17V507000 points out that the Emergency Locking Retractors (ELR) on the front seat assemblies might not have the compatible locking mechanism housings included. This defect prevents the seat belt from restraining occupants during a crash. Not only can the seat collapse on an occupant, but the seat belt could fail as well. This is a “thrill” that most owners aren’t signing up for when they purchase the 430i.
Problems with the Vehicle Structure
It’s become evident that BMW engineers haven’t done a good job of constructing this luxury model, but if further proof is needed, just take a look at the defective structure.
An NHTSA statement says “I pulled in my driveway and turned off the engine. I used the internal button to open the trunk then opened my door and got out of the car. The key was in my purse on my shoulder. I was reaching into the trunk to gather my belonging, and the car made a steady alarm sound I have never heard before and the trunk closed on my arm. I was able to pull my arm out while it was pinned in the trunk, but I have two painful subdermal hematomas on my right arm.”
BMW acknowledges that there is an issue with the tailgate. Service Bulletin #B513016 shows that the tailgate can unintentionally open, even if the vehicle is locked. Among other structural issues, we see Service Bulletin #B513316, which states that owners experience sloshing noises and water located in the rear passenger compartment. Does this sound like problems that a “styled to thrill” vehicle should be producing? Unless the thrill means putting life and limb at risk, then it’s best to avoid this poorly constructed luxury car. Even the budget-friendly cheap cars don’t suffer from destructive malfunctions such as these.
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Complaint Data
| Category | Engine And Engine Cooling |
| Date | Sep 21, 2022 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 bmw 430i. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the warning message "pull over vehicle will shut off" was suddenly displayed and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the coolant hose was faulty and caused damage to the water pump. The coolant hose and water pump were replaced and the failure was remedied. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 49,000. |
| Category | Seats |
| Date | Jul 10, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Lumbar support automatically inflates without driver pushing button. This causes the driver to become distracted, uncomfortable and losing focus trying to deflate lumbar support while driving. Has not been inspected but I did ask dealer about this being an issue. No warning of any kind alerts driver of inflation of lumbar. |
| Category | Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System:pump |
| Date | Jul 07, 2022 |
| State | SC |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 bmw 430i. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the low coolant/add coolant warning light illuminated. The contact stated she saw a coolant leak underneath the engine. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but experienced the failure a second time. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle back to the independent mechanic and was informed that the water pump needed to be replaced a second time. The vehicle was being repaired at the time of the call. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,348. The contact stated that the part was replaced by a private mechanic. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jun 30, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | My vehicle erupted in a fire on 06/29/22. My vehicle had all of its services. It was shooting out random messages. Then ultimately completely lost power. My car filled with smoke and I seen flames coming from underneath the hood. It was fully engulfed in just minutes. |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System, Power Train |
| Date | Apr 06, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Vehicle stalled on train track , on the highway, engine keep burning oil , when I press the gas it stalled and I have to press hard sometimes it moves sometimes it don't |
| Category | Tires |
| Date | Oct 03, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | 225 40r 19 89y I was traveling at 50 mph and hit a man cover in the road and several days after I noticed that the tire was separated. I have sent an email to the manufacture and was told to take the car to one of the tire distributor, I did and have the tire inspected. I am having problem with the manufacture having warranty the tire. I had less that 6000 miles on the tire. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Mar 30, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 bmw 430i. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the coolant warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to orange county bmw (101 maher ln, harriman, ny 10926, (845) 782-4269) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Mar 14, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Car accelerates while braking on various occasions - so far I've had the car 4 months and it has done this without warning 5 times, luckily so far haven't hit anything. Brought it back to bmw 2 times and they say they can find no problems. I am now driving an accident waiting to happen and there is nothing I can do. |
| Category | Seat Belts |
| Date | Feb 01, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | The front seat driver seatbelt does not retract. Dealer replaced mechanism and new product is worse. The seatbelt does not retract properly and hangs as well as gets caught in the door causing damage to surrounding interior. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Sep 21, 2020 |
| State | OH |
| Description | Had a situation where the rear window of my car shattered while stored in the trunk due to the roof mechanism engaging while driving. This happened while in a drive thru going about 2 miles an hour at a chick-fil-a on friday august 7th 2020. There appears to be some fault in the roof stowage mechanism that caused it to push the roof up into the glass and it crushed it. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Sep 09, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 bmw 430i. The contact stated that the vehicle was at stand still, when she was informed that under her vehicle had caught fire. The contact stated a couple of by standers assisted her to try to extinguished the fire but the vehicle continued to catch on fire. The fire department was called and was able to extinguished the flames. A fire report was filed. The contact stated no one was injured or seeked medication attention. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to local dealer bmw of bakersfield located at 5400 gasoline alley dr, bakersfield, ca 93313, (661) 396-4040 and was being diagnosed at the moment. The vehicle had not been repaired as of yet. The manufacturer had been informed of failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,200. |
| Category | Seats |
| Date | Jan 02, 2020 |
| State | MA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 bmw 430i. The contact stated that while reversing into a parking space, the contacts foot slipped off the brake and onto the accelerator pedal. The vehicle accelerated in reverse and crashed into a telephone pole. The front drivers seat collapsed out of place and fell backwards. No airbags deployed. The contact sustained neck injuries and the passenger sustained none. The contact was taken to the hospital where she stayed overnight and they confirmed the contact sustained ligament damage and required neck fusion surgery. A police report was made. The vehicle was towed by the police to a collision center. The dealer and the manufacturer were made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.*pm consumer stated upon impact driver seat went back to approx 45% angle upon impact.*jb |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Apr 21, 2019 |
| State | MA |
| Description | I pulled in my driveway and turned off the engine. I used the internal button to open the trunk then opened my door and got out of the car. The key was in my purse on my shoulder. I was reaching into the trunk to gather my belongings, and the car made a steady alarm sound I had never heard before and the trunk closed on my arm. I was able to pull my arm out while it was pinned in the trunk, but I have two painful subdermal hematomas on my right arm. |
| Category | Electrical System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Oct 27, 2018 |
| State | CA |
| Description | While parked, car went on with gear shift failure with a note to take in for service, no lights on gear shift. Restarted car with it functioning as normal. 2 hours later, doors unlock on its own and all windows, sunroof also open on its own while in motion. Not exactly sure what is the defect as the car seems to be out of control from the driver/passenger. |
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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