BMW F91 M8 buyer's guide

Models and engines by year

US-market models. Chassis codes: F91, F92, F93. Not sure which one you have? The VIN check decodes year, model and engine.

Model-year changes

US model years unless noted. "LCI" (Life Cycle Impulse) is BMW's name for a mid-cycle facelift.

Known problems and when they show up

Mileages are what the cited shops, specialists and owner forums report. They are typical ranges, not predictions for any one car.

S63 engine

M8 / Competition (coupe, convertible, Gran Coupe) (2020–2025) · S63 bulletins

Warranty extensions and service campaigns 5

Warranty extensions (3)

• SIB 01 17 24 Fuel injectors failure Fuel injectors failure on N63/S63 engines (2015–2021); the fix is replacing the affected part. Warranty extension · Sep 2025
• SIB 01 08 21 Fuel tank leak check warranty extension Fuel tank leak check warranty extension on BMW G01/G02/G05/G06 and other models (2020); BMW extended the warranty on this part for eligible cars. Warranty extension · Dec 2024
• SIB 32 02 23 Steering warranty extension Steering warranty extension on BMW G05/G06/G07/G11 and other models (2015–2024); BMW extended the warranty on this part for eligible cars. Service bulletin · Jan 2024

Service campaigns (2)

• SIB 11 11 24 Oil pump bolt torque check Oil pump bolt torque check on S63 engines (2024); BMW repairs affected cars free under a service campaign. Service campaign · Feb 2025
• SIB 17 03 24 Fuel injectors leak Fuel injectors leak on N63/S63 engines (2018–2022); BMW repairs affected cars free under a service campaign. Service campaign · Jun 2024

Filed by BMW with NHTSA. Extensions usually follow the car to later owners and can reimburse earlier repairs; a BMW dealer can confirm by VIN.

NHTSA safety recalls 5

• Feb 17, 2023
  Recall 23V099: digital key ECU software coding 230I, 840I, M2, M240I, M8, M850I, Z4, 2022–2023. BMW of North Americal, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2023 8 Series Coupe (840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8), 8 Series Convertible (840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8), 8 Series Gran Coupe (840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8, Alpine B8 xDrive), 2 Series Coupe (230i, 230i xDrive, M240i xDrive, M
• Feb 19, 2021
  Recall 21V096: rearview camera software 330E, 330I, 430I, 530E, 530I, 540I, 740I, 745LE, 750LI, 840I, M340I, M440I, M550I, M760I, M8, M850I, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, 2019–2021. When shifting into Reverse, a small portion of the rearview image may be obscured, or the screen may not illuminate.
• Feb 10, 2021
  Recall 21V062: integrated brake system 740LI, 745LE, 750LI, 840I, M3, M4, M760LI, M8, M850I, X5, X6, X7, 2019–2021. The rotor and shaft within the integrated brake system may not have been welded properly and could separate during a hard braking event, possibly resulting in a loss of the Antilock Brake System (ABS) and braking assistance.
• Mar 19, 2020
  Recall 20V164: pretensioner 330I, 840I, M340I, M8, M850I, X3, X4, 2020. The sensors in the front seat belt buckles may inaccurately detect a belted occupant as unbelted, possibly causing the air bag and seat belt pretensioners to deploy improperly in the event of a crash.
• Dec 11, 2019
  Recall 19V883: wiring M5, M8, 2019–2020. The transmission wiring harness can become damaged, resulting in an electrical short circuit.

Matched from NHTSA's public recall file by model and model year. A recall may cover only some cars from a year, and it may already have been done on yours. Check by VIN →

Test drive and inspection checklist

1. Run the VIN for open recalls. Open safety recalls are free at any BMW dealer. Check on NHTSA's site or our recall page before you buy.⁶
2. Scan for stored fault codes with a BMW-capable tool. A generic OBD reader misses most BMW modules. Specialist guides recommend a BMW-level scan (ISTA or similar) to catch faults that have been cleared from the dash but still stored.^7,8
3. Start it from cold. Ask the seller not to warm the car up first. Chain rattle, VANOS rattle, lifter tick and rough idle show most clearly in the first seconds after a cold start.^7,9,10
4. Ask a BMW dealer about warranty extensions and campaigns. Several BMW warranty extensions follow the car, not the owner, and some reimburse earlier repairs. A dealer can check the VIN. The list for this chassis is below.
5. Get a pre-purchase inspection from a BMW specialist. A few hundred dollars for an independent BMW specialist is the usual advice, especially for M cars and high-mileage turbo engines.^11,7

Engine items to listen and look for are in the known problems section.

Service-history red flags

• Oil changes only at the long computer interval. Several guides advise changing oil more often than the onboard service indicator (CBS) suggests, especially with lots of city driving.^10,12
• Gaps in the records around known failure mileages. If the engine section below lists a job that usually comes due at the car's mileage, ask for the invoice. A missing record isn't proof it wasn't done, but it is a negotiating point.
• Tuned or "deleted" cars. Tunes, emissions deletes and removed parts complicate warranty claims and inspections and raise wear on turbo cars. Ask, and look for aftermarket intakes, downpipes and charge pipes.
• S63: ask for records of Oil consumption and valve stem seals; Spark plugs and ignition coils (wear items); Version matters; Rod bearings, coils and injectors.

F91 specs

BMW's US figures we have on file run from 600 hp (M8 Coupe) to 617 hp (M8 Competition Coupe), with 0-60 mph as quick as 3.0 s.

No manual gearbox appears in the EPA listings for this chassis. Full F91 specs: every US engine, transmission and drive by year →

Factory paint and option codes

Paint colors BMW of North America listed for the F91 in the ordering and pricing guides we read:

68 option codes are listed for the F91 in the same guides. Search them.

Only model years covered by the guides we could obtain are shown.

Coding

The coding apps' own lists show 152 settings that owners can change on the F91 with a phone and an OBD adapter, in areas such as Seat heating/cooling, Head-Up Display, Cleaning, Comfort Functions, Display options instrument cluster, Tailgate. 82 come from BimmerCode's list and 70 more appear only in Carly's list.

Full F91 coding list with tool, difficulty and caveats →

Ownership costs

Routine maintenance: oil service prices by engine size, published BMW Value Service prices (brakes, spark plugs) from 16 US dealers, and the F91 maintenance schedule.

By model year

Recalls and warranty extensions are counted when their published model-year range includes that year. Each one may cover only some cars, so check by VIN. Repairs counted are the ones whose engine was offered that year.

Sources

1. BMW SIB: N63 and S63 engine valve seal replacement (2018), via NHTSA
2. BMWTuning: S63 FAQ (maintenance, problems)
3. BMW Tuning: S63 M5 and M6 engine problems
4. Wikipedia: BMW M8
5. EPA/DOE fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov)
6. NHTSA recall lookup by VIN
7. The Stable: E92 M3 buyer's guide
8. Euro Premium Parts: E60 M5 reliability guide
9. carsales: buying a used F30 3 Series (2015–20)
10. carsales: buying a used E90 3 Series
11. Road & Track: E46 M3 buyer's guide
12. Drive-My: E60 5 Series buying guide (six-cylinder petrol)

Retrieved 2026-10-18. Bulletins and recalls come from NHTSA filings; owner prices come from the public posts linked on each job page.

More for the F91

F91 repair costs and recalls F91 common problems F91 maintenance schedule Used BMW VIN check