Model year

2018 BMW 5 Series

NHTSA does not list the EPA model name 5 Series for 2018. Under the matched names 530E, 530E IPERFORMANCE, 530E XDRIVE IPERFORMANCE, 530I, 540D, and 540I, NHTSA lists 7 recalls and 89 complaints (recall file dated Oct 23, 2026; complaint file dated Oct 23, 2026). 1 recall marked park outside. The components listed on the most complaints for 540I are AIR BAGS (14), SEAT BELTS (11), SEATS (10). NHTSA lists 2 investigations, including 1 investigation with no close date in the file. NHTSA lists crash-test variants for this model year and marks the overall rating Not Rated. EPA rates it 23–30 mpg combined and 46–49 kWh/100 mi depending on configuration (fuel economy file dated Sep 29, 2026). EPA's annual fuel-cost figures for these configurations are $2,850–$3,550, based on 15,000 miles and 55% city driving.

ABOUT THIS DATA

Matched NHTSA names

The EPA model name is not itself a name in the NHTSA file for 2018. The counts in the answer are the sum of the names below. Overlap between those names is not removed.

NHTSA names assigned to this EPA model year
NHTSA name Recalls Complaints Investigations
530E 4 29 1
530E IPERFORMANCE 1 0 0
530E XDRIVE IPERFORMANCE 1 0 0
530I 2 26 0
540D 4 3 1
540I 2 31 0

Recalls for 540I

19V684000 · Sep 27, 2019

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 530e, 530e xDrive, X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive, X3 M40i, X3 M, and 2019-2020 X4 xDrive, X4 M40i, X4 M, X7 xDrive, X7 M50i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 750Li,…

18V465000 · Jul 11, 2018

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW 540d xDrive vehicles. The crankshaft sensor may be equipped with incorrect firmware, preventing the sensor from properly processing input from the crankshaft reluctor ring, possibly resulting in a vehicle stall. On…

Complaints for 540I

31 distinct complaints. Crash flag on 3, fire flag on 0, injury field 2, deaths field 0. A complaint can be counted under more than one component. The injury and death figures are the file's numbers (the highest value on each complaint, then added), not a separate verified count of people.

  1. AIR BAGS14
  2. SEAT BELTS11
  3. SEATS10
  4. AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION4
  5. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM4
  6. UNKNOWN OR OTHER4
  7. ENGINE3
  8. POWER TRAIN2
  9. AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE1
  10. LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION1

Investigations for 540I

No investigations are matched to this name.

Safety ratings

NHTSA 5-star variants matched to this model year (4). Rollover possibility is the API's published figure, shown as recorded.
VariantOverallFrontSidePoleRolloverPhoto
2018 BMW 5 PHEV Series 4 DR AWD Not rated Not RatedNot RatedNot RatedNot Rated · possibility 0—
4 DR AWD Not rated Not RatedNot RatedNot RatedNot Rated · possibility 0—
4 DR RWD Not rated Not RatedNot RatedNot RatedNot Rated · possibility 0—
PHEV 4 DR RWD Not rated Not RatedNot RatedNot RatedNot Rated · possibility 0—

Fuel economy

EPA configurations. Electric rows show MPGe in the combined column and kWh/100 mi separately. Annual fuel cost is EPA's published fuelCost08 figure.
ConfigurationFuelCityHwyCombkWh/100 miRangeAnnual fuel cost
530e · 2L · Automatic (S8) · Rear-Wheel DrivePremium Gasoline · Plug-in Hybrid27312946.0370$2,850
530e xDrive · 2L · Automatic (S8) · All-Wheel DrivePremium Gasoline · Plug-in Hybrid27312849.0360$2,950
530i · 2L · Automatic (S8) · Rear-Wheel DrivePremium Gasoline243427——$3,050
530i xDrive · 2L · Automatic (S8) · All-Wheel DrivePremium Gasoline233327——$3,050
540i · 3L · Automatic (S8) · Rear-Wheel DrivePremium Gasoline213024——$3,400
540i xDrive · 3L · Automatic (S8) · All-Wheel DrivePremium Gasoline202923——$3,550
540d xDrive · 3L · Automatic (S8) · All-Wheel DriveDiesel · Diesel263630——$3,200

Open this model year in the fuel-cost calculator. The calculator starts with no fuel price filled in.

Check a vehicle

This page is not a VIN lookup. NHTSA's recall tool checks a specific vehicle: nhtsa.gov/recalls. NHTSA's page for this model year is 2018 BMW 5 Series at NHTSA. Complaint narratives stay on NHTSA's site and are not copied here.

All BMW 5 Series model years