M Buyers Guide
Inspection checklist
M235 Gran Coupe F74, 2025 to 2027
Before you go
- Open recalls. Run the VIN through NHTSA or a BMW dealer and ask for proof every recall was done.
- History report. Check the title, accidents, owners and mileage record.
- Service records. Ask for them in advance, ideally from a BMW dealer or specialist.
- Certified or not. BMW can still certify 2025 to 2027 cars. If this one is certified, ask for the paperwork showing when its cover ends.
- Independent inspection. Book a pre-purchase inspection with a shop that knows this engine.
Known problems on this car
- Dual-clutch hesitation at low speed
On a test drive, pull away gently and briskly from a stop, on a hill if you can, and maneuver into a parking space; ask whether transmission software updates have been done.
- Coolant leaks about $1,200 to fix
Check the coolant level with the engine cold, look for low-coolant warnings in the history, and look for dried coolant around the hoses and the expansion tank.
- Valve cover and oil filter housing leaks about $900 to fix
Look for oil along the valve cover edge and around the oil filter housing, and for burning-oil smells after a drive.
- Infotainment freezes and phone dropouts
Connect your phone on the test drive, use navigation and the camera, and ask whether the software is current.
At the viewing
- How much factory warranty and BMW Ultimate Care maintenance is left.
- The M Performance Package on the window sticker or build sheet.
- The dual-clutch's behavior pulling away from a stop and on a hill.
- The iDrive screen and phone connection working without freezes.
- No coolant loss or oil weeping.
- A VIN check for open recalls (a rear seat belt retractor recall and a rear light recall on some 2026 cars).
Notes
From the M235 Gran Coupe F74 guide at M Buyers Guide. Repair costs are the guide's estimates, not quotes; the guide says where each comes from. Problems and costs as of the date printed.