There are 2 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2019 BMW 8 Seriesin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW M850I. The contact stated that gear shifter became stuck in gear. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
Behind the cupholder the shifting unit is unsealed and liquids spill are causing shifting issues to the shifting control module. Also the Airbag sensor is under the same gap which can cause airbag malfunction. There are numerous reports on forums with all model types 2019+, not limited to the 8 series. This is a design flaw on the new center console shifting seal. This is is a life threatening defect, already a open recall for the wire routing under the shifter for the 8 series, same area.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026