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2018 BMW M5 F90

4.4L V8 Twin-Turbo S63•AWD•AUTOMATIC•gas•turbo
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5-Year Cost of Ownership
$26,061 maintenance + known platform issues
~$5,212/yr · 430¢/mile equivalent · $9,532 maintenance + $13,929 expected platform issues
Common Problems & Known Issues

The F90 M5's S63TU engine is a beast with 600+ hp, but early examples (2018-2019) suffer from catastrophic rod bearing failures and piston ring land fractures under hard use. The ZF 8HP transmission is bulletproof, but its cooling and mounting systems show weaknesses.

Rod Bearing Failure (Spun Bearings)

Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 30,000-70,000 mi
Symptoms: metallic knocking at idle that worsens with RPM, sudden loss of oil pressure, metal shavings in oil filter, engine failure without warning in severe cases
Fix: Complete engine-out teardown, crankshaft inspection/machining or replacement, all rod and main bearings, bottom-end rebuild. 40-60 labor hours if crank is reusable, up to 80+ hours for full short block replacement. Early S63TU engines (pre-2019 production) are most affected.
Estimated cost: $15,000-35,000

Piston Ring Land Fracture

Rare · high severity
Typical onset: 20,000-60,000 mi
Symptoms: sudden excessive oil consumption (quart per 500-1000 mi), blue smoke on startup or under load, misfires in affected cylinder, loss of compression
Fix: Engine removal, cylinder head removal, piston replacement with updated design. Often discovered during rod bearing service. BMW issued updated pistons (PN 11258684564) for 2019+ production. 50-70 labor hours for all pistons.
Estimated cost: $18,000-28,000

Transmission Oil Cooler Line Leaks

Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 40,000-80,000 mi
Symptoms: transmission fluid puddles under vehicle, driver's side, burnt transmission fluid smell, transmission temperature warning on iDrive, slipping or delayed shifts if fluid level drops
Fix: Replace cooler lines and often the auxiliary cooler itself. Lines crack at crimps and mounting points due to heat cycling. 4-6 labor hours, requires transmission fluid flush after repair.
Estimated cost: $1,200-2,200

Transmission Mount Failure (Rear)

Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 50,000-90,000 mi
Symptoms: harsh clunk on aggressive 1-2 or 2-3 shifts, vibration at idle in Drive, excessive driveline movement visible during launch, transmission housing contacting crossmember in extreme cases
Fix: Replace rear transmission mount (and often front while you're in there). Mount tears internally from launch control abuse. 3-4 labor hours on a lift.
Estimated cost: $800-1,400

High-Pressure Fuel Pump Failure

Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 60,000-100,000 mi
Symptoms: long crank/hard start when hot, lean fuel trim codes (2E8F, 2E90), loss of power above 4000 RPM, rough idle and misfires under load
Fix: Replace high-pressure fuel pump and filter. HPFP driven off exhaust cam, so cam follower inspection recommended. 5-7 labor hours due to intake manifold removal required for access.
Estimated cost: $2,000-3,200

Crankshaft Position Sensor Connector Corrosion

Occasional · high severity
Symptoms: random no-start condition, engine dies while driving without warning, intermittent crank/no-start, fault code 2A98 or 2A99 (crankshaft position implausible)
Fix: Connector located low on bellhousing, exposed to road spray. Clean and reseal connector, or replace sensor and pigtail. Preventive dielectric grease application recommended. 1-2 labor hours.
Estimated cost: $250-600
Owner tips
  • Change oil every 5,000 miles maximum with 0W-40 meeting BMW LL-01FE spec — factory 10k interval is too long for the S63TU under any use case
  • Blackstone oil analysis every other change to monitor bearing material and fuel dilution — early warning system for catastrophic failure
  • Avoid extended full-throttle pulls until oil temp exceeds 220°F — cold-start ring seal issues contribute to piston failures
  • Budget $2,000-3,000/year for maintenance beyond consumables if buying used — this is not a Camry
  • Pre-purchase inspection MUST include oil analysis and compression test — walk away if rod bearings have never been inspected past 50k miles on 2018-2019 models
Only buy a 2018-2019 F90 if rod bearings have been replaced with proof of work or it's a late-2019+ build with updated bottom end — otherwise you're gambling with a $20k+ engine rebuild at any moment.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
526 jobs across 17 categories
🔧 Database maintained under the daily editorial review of Chris Hackleman · Master Technician · 20+ years and Jeff Moore · Master Lexus & Toyota Mechanic · 20+ years.
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