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BMW M2 M2 CS Coupé common faults.

2017–2021, coupé, petrol, 450 HP.

The fault list covers: S55B30 engine.

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5 fault write-ups. 4 important. 8 recalls.

If you know the year, pick it. Faults for other years drop out of the list.

Before you buy

Known faults

4 important faults

critical1

Crank hub: only friction holds it, and if it slips the valve timing is lost

critical

The multi-part crank hub is held in place only by the clamping force of the crankshaft bolt and the friction between the mating surfaces. There is no key and no splined connection, so there is no mechanical constraint either. Under sustained high load, at high torque, the hub can slip, and the valve timing then loses its reference to the crankshaft.

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The symptom is a drivetrain malfunction message on the dashboard, the engine management light, uneven running, difficult starting and limp mode. A camshaft or crankshaft timing code appears in the fault memory, and the two together are the most telling. If the timing moves far, the valve and the piston can meet, and that is internal engine damage.

Not every example is affected: many engines run without trouble throughout. The risk is higher on tuned and track-driven cars, because the load there is greater, but standard condition does not rule it out either. The fault occurs from 60 000 kilometres.

The solution is a pinned conversion: precisely drilled pins give a mechanical connection in place of the friction. The part is around 800 pounds, and 1950 pounds with fitting. One thing is worth knowing: this fault belongs to the S55 engine, and the N55, the B58 and the S58 are not affected.

above 60,000 km

What to check

  • Have the fault codes read and look for camshaft and crankshaft timing codes
  • Ask whether there has been a drivetrain malfunction message on the dashboard
  • Start it cold: difficult starting and uneven running belong here
2 more steps in the write-up

expensive3

Oil cooler under the front spoiler: one stone punctures it

expensive

The engine oil is cooled by an air-to-oil cooler, and it sits under the front spoiler, perpendicular to the ground. There is no protection in front of it, so stones thrown up hit it directly. The core of the factory cooler is of tube-and-fin construction, and that structure is sensitive: even a smaller stone can puncture it, and the oil then runs out quickly.

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This is not wear but an impact, so the mileage says little here: it is reported from 40 000 kilometres, but it can happen at any time. There is no advance sign: a slow leak does not start, instead the oil pressure warning and the streak of oil under the car come suddenly. At that point you have to stop immediately.

There are two directions for the repair. There is an aftermarket cooler that comes with a removable and replaceable rock guard. The other direction is stronger construction: a bar-and-plate aluminium cooler stands up better to flying gravel, and goes into the same factory location. The suppliers themselves argue that the factory part is easily damaged.

above 40,000 km

What to check

  • Bend down under the front spoiler and look at the oil cooler: the fins should not be dented
  • Look for traces of oil under the cooler and under the car
  • Watch the oil pressure warning light after start-up and while driving
3 more steps in the write-up

S55: connecting rod bearings that wear early

expensive

The connecting rod bearings wear from as little as 60,000 kilometres, which is early even for an engine of this output. The debris shows up as metal particles in the oil.

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The symptoms are knocking from the engine block, a metallic sheen in the oil and the oil pressure warning light. If a bearing runs, the crankshaft is damaged too and the repair is an engine rebuild. The bearing shell size and clearance are the same on the N54 and the N55, with the same factory part numbers. The S55, however, manages the oil pressure better, so the trouble is rarer on it than on its smaller siblings.

above 60,000 km

What to check

  • Listen to the engine under load when warm: a deep knock means a bearing fault
  • Look at the condition of the oil: a metallic sheen points at wear
  • Ask for an oil analysis if possible: the metal content is measurable there
2 more steps in the write-up

Valvetronic: oil in the sensor connector, a worn eccentric shaft

expensive

Valvetronic adjusts the lift of the intake valves, and an eccentric shaft does that work. Three parts can fail here, at very different prices, and their symptoms are nearly identical.

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The sensor is usually the first to give up: oil leaks past its seal into the connector, and the oil corrupts the signal the engine control unit depends on. From then on the control unit gets no reliable position feedback, cannot set the valve lift precisely, and switches to a protective strategy. The fault code in this case is a plausibility fault, 2A67 or 2A6B: the control unit does not consider the position signal credible.

The eccentric shaft itself can also wear out or seize, and there are several causes for that: lack of lubrication from oil sludge and skipped oil changes, wear of the bearings, a system driven on with a failed actuator motor, and overheating and oil contamination in the cylinder head. It is reported from 150 000 kilometres.

The symptom is similar in all three cases: an unstable idle, stumbling and long cranking at a cold start, a check engine light that comes on and goes out on its own, lack of power or limp mode, inconsistent throttle response, and misfires cylinder by cylinder. A clicking, binding noise from the engine bay points to a seizing shaft.

The misdiagnosis is common, because the symptom shows up at combustion, so coils and spark plugs are suspected first, while the fault is in the air control. The condition of the shaft can only be established after the valve cover has been removed and it has been inspected. The sensor connector, though, is worth opening up first: if it is oily, that is the far cheaper route.

above 150,000 km

What to check

  • Open up the connector of the eccentric shaft sensor: an oily connector means the cheaper fault
  • Watch the revs at idle: an unstable idle and misfires cylinder by cylinder belong here
  • Start it cold: stumbling and long cranking are symptoms
3 more steps in the write-up

cheap repair1

Plastic charge pipe: it goes brittle and cracks at the throttle body

cheap repair

The maker builds the charge pipe out of plastic, and the coupler at the throttle body is the critical point. The material goes brittle from heat cycles, from boost pressure and from the heat of the engine bay, and then it cracks. Three things coincide here: the moulded coupler carries both pressure and movement, the vibration of the engine arrives here through the throttle body, and the spot gets continuous heat load. The crack starts on the inner radius of the coupler. The symptom is a loss of pressure under load: the engine pulls cleanly at part throttle but flattens out at full throttle, and a hissing noise is audible from the engine bay at the same time. A yellow drivetrain warning comes with it, which often disappears after a restart, and sometimes a brief limp mode. One thing is worth knowing: a clean fault memory does not rule the crack out. The pipe has no sensor of its own, so the control unit can only log a boost pressure fault, and the leak is intermittent, appearing only under load. At a viewing two things are visible without tools. On the inner radius of the coupler the hairline crack sometimes comes with dark staining, because the oil mist in the boost air escapes through it. For the same reason a greasy, dark ring can appear at the joint of the coupler. The crack is reported above 80 000 kilometres, and replacing the pipe costs between 100 and 400 euros, because the part itself is not expensive. The most common misdiagnosis against that is replacing the turbocharger, which costs an order of magnitude more, and a pressure test protects against it. The factory repair is the same plastic part, which can crack again at a similar mileage; replaced with an aluminium pipe this failure mode disappears, and the driveability does not change.

above 80,000 km100–400 EUR

What to check

  • Look at the inner radius of the coupler at the throttle body: the hairline crack sometimes comes with dark staining
  • Look for a greasy, dark ring at the joint of the coupler
  • On a motorway slip road at full throttle watch for the loss of pressure and the hissing noise
2 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

BMW M2 M2 CS Coupé

First what you would check on any car. Then the faults of this model.

Before you buy

Checklist

The printed sheet starts with what you would check on any car. What you tick stays on this device only.

On every car

Ask the owner

Faults of this model

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Official recall8 recallsShow

The manufacturer fixes these for free at a franchised dealer. Ask with the VIN whether it was done.

Most recent: 7 July 2026

SR/02180/26Safety recallFire7 July 2026 · EU Safety Gate

The RSW22 starter with reinforced water tightness (RWT) may experience increased abrasion of the magnetic contact, causing deposits to build up at the lowest point inside the relay. These deposits may increase relay contact resistance, leading to starting failures or short circuits. If a short circuit occurs, either when attempting to start the vehicle or while driving due to vibration-related movement of the deposits, it could cause a thermal event and increase the risk of fire. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: 07/07/2026

The authority's notice

SR/00551/26Safety recallFire30 January 2026 · EU Safety Gate

The failure concerns the RSW22 starter, type RWT (reinforced for watertightness). Increased abrasion of the magnetic contact can lead to the formation of deposits at the lowest point of the relay interior. This in turn can increase the resistance of the relay contact, causing accidental ignition or even short circuits, possibly leading to a thermal reaction and fire. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: 30/01/2026

The authority's notice

SR/00568/26Safety recallFire30 January 2026 · EU Safety Gate

The failure concerns the RSW22 starter, type RWT (reinforced for watertightness). Increased abrasion of the magnetic contact can lead to the formation of deposits at the lowest point of the relay interior. This in turn can increase the resistance of the relay contact, causing accidental ignition or even short circuits, possibly leading to a thermal reaction and fire. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: 30/01/2026

The authority's notice

SR/00569/26Safety recallFire30 January 2026 · EU Safety Gate

The failure concerns the RSW22 starter, type RWT (reinforced for watertightness). Increased abrasion of the magnetic contact can lead to the formation of deposits at the lowest point of the relay interior. This in turn can increase the resistance of the relay contact, causing accidental ignition or even short circuits, possibly leading to a thermal reaction and fire. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: 30/01/2026

The authority's notice

A12/00134/21Safety recallFireno date · EU Safety Gate

The fuel injectors may not have been equipped with a decoupling element. This could result in a vibration fracture at the soldering point of the high-pressure fuel rail. Consequently, fuel could leak into the engine compartment, increasing the risk of fire.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

The authority's notice

A12/00702/20Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The driver's airbag may be damaged during activation and may fail to inflate sufficiently. This will impair its restraining effect, increasing the risk of an injury. Furthermore, the driver could be injured by hot gases leaking from the airbag's gas generator.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

The authority's notice

A12/01342/20Safety recallFireno date · EU Safety Gate

A short circuit in the high-voltage battery could occur during initial charging due to a particle in the form of a welding bead. This may trigger a chain reaction in the battery, increasing the risk of fire.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

The authority's notice

SR/03830/25Safety recallFireno date · EU Safety Gate

Water may come into contact with the starter relay and gradually cause corrosion. This could affect the electrical connection inside the relay and make the engine difficult to start. It may also result in a short circuit and could cause the starter to overheat leading to a fire when the vehicle is in motion or when it is parked with the ignition off. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

The authority's notice

Engine and transmission

S55B30

317–368 kW (431–500 HP) · petrol

We built the code from the model and the gear count. The factory sheet does not state it.

Variant data

What is in this version

Factory data

Trim
M2 CS Coupé
Body
coupé
Fuel
petrol
Transmission
automatic
Engine size
2979 cc
Power
331 kW (450 HP)
Drive
RWD
Production
2017–2021

Factory service interval

The manufacturer specifies this for this version. Of the mileage and the time, the one that comes first is the one that counts.

  • Air filter

    • 60,000 km or 4 years

  • Cabin (pollen) filter

    • 30,000 km or 2 years

  • Brake fluid change

    • first: 3 years, then 2 years(first change at 3 years, then every two years)

  • Engine oil and oil filter (BMW condition-based service)

    • LongLife25,000 km or 2 years

  • Spark plugs, petrol

    • 60,000 km or 6 years
All F22 versions

Information, not an expert opinion

We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.

  • A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
  • A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
  • You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.
Details in the terms