2019 BMW 2 Series: What to check before buying
Owners have filed 67 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the engine, airbags, and transmission. The 10 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2019- Owner complaints
- 67
- Recalls
- 12
- 1 urgent
- Crashes reported
- 5
- 7 injuries
One recall on this model year told owners to park outside until the repair was done.
Do not buy until you have dealer paperwork or a recall lookup showing it was completed for this VIN.
Your inspection sheet
Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/10 checked
2019 BMW 2 Series: inspection sheet
Paperwork and questions
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/4
Walk-around and cabin
Engine off, key in hand0/2
Cold start, engine bay, and underside
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/3
Test drive
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/1
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Which 2 Series is it?
EPA figures for each version of the 2019 BMW 2 Series. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | AWD, RWD | 27–28 mpg |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | AWD, RWD | 24 mpg |
- The 2019 BMW 2 Series was sold in two versions. Confirm which one this is from the window sticker, the engine cover, or the VIN report before you compare prices.
- Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A 2 Series that averages well under the EPA 24 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.
Check the odometer against these mileages
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
Coolant leaks and overheating
35,000–40,000 miles
Oil filter housing leaks
40,000–60,000 miles
Why these checks: what owners reported
NHTSA complaints for the 2019 BMW 2 Series, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Engine11No crashes
Most reports involve coolant loss and overheating. Plastic hoses and fittings fail, a hose comes loose, a coolant vent line leaks, or the oil filter housing cracks. Warnings usually go from low coolant to pull over now, and some engines stall or shut down in traffic. One repair at 35,000 miles cost about $1200, and one owner was refused coverage for engine damage. A failed pressure control valve causes a high-pitched noise and white exhaust smoke. One car caught fire while driving at 4,500 miles, and the cause was not determined.
Coolant leaks out steadily, triggering repeated "Coolant Low" messages, puddles under the parked car, and overheating while driving. Topping off the reservoir helps only briefly. Dealer diagnoses include a fractured coolant hose and an oil filter housing that needed replacement. In at least one case the leak came back after repair. These complaints match the cooling system pattern seen under the engine and power train categories.
Airbags103 crashes
A "Passenger restraint system malfunction" warning appears and the passenger airbag is reported as switched off. Several reports point to the passenger seat occupancy sensor. Dealers replace wiring, the seat mat, or the airbag control unit, and owners often pay because warranty coverage is denied. One bill reached $1840. Reported mileage ranges from under 20,000 to about 86,000. Three crash reports describe facial cuts and a concussion from deploying airbags, plus airbags that stayed off during a surge into a building.
Transmission9No crashes
A "Drivetrain Malfunction" message cuts accelerator response at highway speed, and for some owners it happens again and again. Other reports describe the dashboard going black as the engine shuts off in traffic, shudder under acceleration, and a shifter stuck in gear. Mechanical failures include coolant and oil filter housing leaks near 40,000 miles and a crankshaft damper that failed with a loud pop. In another case, loose starter bolts cracked the transmission case at 60,000 miles. Owners also report spilled drinks reaching the shifter unit.
Electrical6No crashes
Two cars caught fire while parked and were declared total losses. Most other reports concern a pending recall repair rather than a failure: owners say the repair part is not yet available and the wait has gone on too long, with an intermittent check engine light for some in the meantime. Separate complaints describe a battery that won't hold a charge in cold weather. Others describe a failed SOS emergency call system that also knocks out navigation and fuel displays, possibly from water entering the telematics unit.
Exterior lights4No crashes
Water and heavy condensation collect inside the headlights after rain or in cold, damp weather. They can take days to clear, and in one report the beam projected at an angle and cut visibility. One report puts the problem at 3,000 miles. After one side was replaced, the other side failed within months. Owners say dealers call it a known issue but refuse warranty repair. One replacement quote reached 4.5K.
Brakes32 crashes
Two of the three reports involve crashes. In one, automatic emergency braking did not apply before a low-speed rear-end collision at 10-15 mph, and a later system check confirmed no braking assist occurred. In another, the car surged to full engine speed while parking despite firm braking and struck a lamp post base. A third owner describes brakes that failed to engage at about 35 mph, with a stability control malfunction message and an abnormal sound. No cause was found.
Wheels and tires2No crashes
The original Pirelli Cinturato P7 all-season run-flat tires blow out on the inner sidewall at roughly 13,000 to 15,000 miles. Some fail while the car is parked, with no tire pressure warning and no rim damage. Multiple tires have failed on the same car within the first year, and owners report no pothole or impact beforehand.
Steering2No crashes
Wheel lockup sends the car veering into oncoming traffic, and in one report it recurs right after a dealer visit. A separate complaint describes the engine dying on a busy road with no coolant warning, leaving the driver stopped in traffic as other cars swerve around. That owner links it to a service action that was never performed. With only two complaints on file, no broader pattern is visible.
In owners' own words
Excerpts from complaints 2 Series owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
My fiancé was driving my vehicle and hit a tree. The air bag deployed and she has shrapnel cuts on her face. The surgeon stated that she should not have had that injury on the face like she did.
Filed with NHTSA, March 2024
Vehicle is relatively new and kept in great shape. No damage nothing, one day the sensor for passenger airbag malfunction appears indicating that passenger airbag will not deploy in event of a crash. Dealership says it’s not covered under warranty and have to pay to replace out of pocket costing multiple thousands of dollars. Error seems manufacturer defect.
Filed with NHTSA, June 2025
Vehicle shudders under acceleration no warning lights or errors . Changed transfer case oil and same problem continues. No recall from manufacturer for issu
Filed with NHTSA, February 2026
How the 2019 compares with other 2 Series years
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2019 ranks third for owner complaints among 8 2 Series years, close to the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
- Engine118
- Airbags107
- Transmission93
- Electrical610
- Exterior lights40
- Brakes33
Where the 2019 fits in the 2 Series's history
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2019 is the sixth model year of the 2 Series's first generation (2014–2021).
Recalls to confirm (12)
Recall repairs are free at any BMW dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
25V636000ElectricalPark outsideSep 2025
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 BMW 330i, 2019-2022 BMW Z4, 2020-2022 BMW 530i, X3, X4, Toyota Supra, 2021-2022 BMW 430i, 430i Convertible, and 2022 BMW 230i vehicles. The engine starter relay may corrode, causing the relay to overheat and short circuit.
Risk: A short circuit in the starter relay may increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is complete. Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 6, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning November 14, 2025.
23V584000Seat beltsAug 2023
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2022 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, 2022 430i Coupe, 2021-2022 430i, M440i Convertible, and 2020-2022 228i xDrive Gran Coupe vehicles. The receiver audio module control unit software may fail to properly generate audible seat belt warnings to the driver to fasten their seat belt. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection.".
Risk: An audible chime that does not properly alert the driver to fasten their seat belt increases the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the receiver audio module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 12, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
23V211000SeatsMar 2023
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i xDrive, 2020-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, 2021 X3 xDrive30e, X4 xDrive30i, and X4M vehicles. The seat frame may not have been welded properly to the seat rails.
Risk: An improperly welded seat frame may not properly restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat frame and back rest, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
21V096000Backup cameraFeb 2021
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.".
Risk: If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the missing or reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
20V355000SteeringJun 2020
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019 Z4 sDrive30i, 2019-2020 330i xDrive, M340i and M340i xDrive, 2020 X3M and X4M, and Toyota Supra vehicles. In certain driving conditions, such as high temperatures and rough road surfaces, a steering gear tie rod may become damaged, possibly resulting in a fractured tie rod.
Risk: A damaged or fractured tie rod may affect vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW and Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear tie rods, free of charge. The recall began August 14, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
19V912000Seat beltsDec 2019
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 330i and 330i xDrive vehicles. The outboard rear seat belt pretensioners may not lock as intended during a crash.
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the seat belt pretensioners fail to lock, there is an increased risk of injury.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear seat belts, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 10, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer at 1-800-525-7417.
19V732000EngineOct 2019
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 330i, 330i xDrive, and 2019 Z4 vehicles. The needle roller bearings of the counterbalance shafts may have been improperly installed, potentially causing the counterbalance shaft to loosen.
Risk: If the counterbalance shaft loosens, severe engine damage could occur, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
19V684000Backup cameraSep 2019
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, 750Li xDrive, 8 Series Convertible and Coupe 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, X5 sDrive, X5 xDrive, X5 M50i, X6 xDrive, X6 M50i, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, Z4 sDrive, Z4 M40i, 740Le xDrive and 745Le xDrive, 2018-2019 640i xDrive Gran Turismo and Rolls-Royce Phantom, 2019 M850i xDrive Gran Coupe and Rolls-Royce Cullinan and 2020 Toyota Supra vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors.".
Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
19V352000AirbagsMay 2019
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 230i, 230i xDrive, M240i, M240i xDrive, M2 Competition Coupe, 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive, M4, and 2019 330i xDrive Sportswagon vehicles. The driver and passenger knee air bag assemblies may have been improperly folded and assembled.
Risk: An improperly folded and assembled air bag may not deploy as intended, increasing risk of injury.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the knee air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began July 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
18V652000EquipmentSep 2018
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW 330e iPerformance, i3 Rex, i3 Sport Rex, X5 xDrive40e, i3 BEV, i3 Sport BEV and 2019 i8 and i8 Roadster vehicles and 2018-2019 530e iPerformance, 530e xDrive iPerformance and 740Le xDrive iPerformance vehicles. Capacitors within the TurboCord Portable Chargers may fail, possibly resulting in a shock hazard or a fire.
Risk: An electrical shock or a fire can increase the risk of injury or death.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the charging cable, and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 22, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
18V533000AirbagsAug 2018
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling one each of 2019 BMW 430i xDrive Gran Coupe, 440i xDrive Gran Coupe and 430i xDrive Convertible vehicles. The front passenger air bag inflator may have been incorrectly manufactured, potentially affecting the air bag deployment performance in the event of a crash.
Risk: If the front passenger air bag does not deploy properly in the event of a crash, the occupant has an increased risk of injury.
Fix: All affected vehicles are still in dealer inventory. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag module, free of charge.
18V465000EngineJul 2018
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 September 12, 2018, BMW expanded the recall to a total of 5,309 vehicles including certain 2018-2019 BMW 540d xDrive, 230i M240i, M240i xDrive, X2 sDrive28i, X2 xDrive28i, X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 330i, 330i xDrive, 340i, 340i xDrive, 330i xDrive Gran Turismo, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, 530e, 530e xDrive, 640i xDrive Gran Turismo, 330e, 2019 430i Gran Coupe, 430i xDrive Gran Coupe, 440i Gran Coupe, 440i xDrive Gran Coupe, 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive, 740i, 740i xDrive, MINI Cooper, Cooper S, JCW, MINI Countryman (Cooper, Cooper All4, Cooper S, Cooper S All4, JCW All4), and MINI Clubman (Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper All4, Cooper S All4, JCW All4) vehicles.
Risk: A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the crankshaft sensor, free of charge. The recall began September 6, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Also looking at these instead of a 2 Series?
Cars shoppers compare with the BMW 2 Series, with their own 2019 checklists.
2019 owner complaints, side by side
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- Porsche Macan10
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- 2019 BMW 2 Series67
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