The tail light mounting brackets may be cracked or broken. During assembly oil may have contaminated the plastic housing of the rear tail lamps causing damage to the mounting points of the tail light assembly.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2017 BMW M2 lighting problems
moderate Owners of the 2017 BMW M2 have filed 15 NHTSA complaints about the lighting at roughly $250 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See lighting across all vehicles →
Complaints
15
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$250
| Model year | lighting complaints |
|---|---|
| 2016 M2 | 5 |
| 2017 M2 (this page) | 15 |
When does it fail?
Of the 15 lighting complaints filed for the 2017 BMW M2, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Reported failure mileage clusters in the 0-25,000 mi band — 6 of 6 complaints with an odometer reading on file land there.
No new NHTSA lighting complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 9 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering lighting on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
DELIVERY STOP: REWORK TAIL LIGHTS. The tail light mounting brackets may be cracked or broken. During assembly oil may have contaminated the plastic housing of the rear tail lamps causing damage to the mounting points of the tail light assembly.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗DELIVERY STOP: REWORK TAIL LIGHTS. The tail light mounting brackets may be cracked or broken. During assembly oil may have contaminated the plastic housing of the rear tail lamps causing damage to the mounting points of the tail light assembly.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗DELIVERY STOP: REWORK TAIL LIGHTS. The tail light mounting brackets may be cracked or broken. During assembly oil may have contaminated the plastic housing of the rear tail lamps causing damage to the mounting points of the tail light assembly.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES HAVE VISIBLE INTERNAL MOISTURE/CONDENSATION: Water on the inside (A) or misting (B) of both headlight lenses that is visible from outside.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2017 BMW M2 instrument cluster suffers from inadequate backlighting and poor contrast that renders the speedometer and tachometer difficult or impossible to read during daylight driving. The problem is worst in shaded areas, under tree cover, in tunnels, or on cloudy days—exactly when you need to read gauges quickly. Wearing sunglasses makes it worse. The ambient light sensor doesn't automatically boost backlighting in these intermediate light conditions, and the console dimmer dial already maxed out provides no additional help. Owners report having to turn on parking lights or headlights just to make the gauges visible during daylight—a design flaw that forces longer eye-off-road time to confirm speed, creating a documented safety risk. Multiple owners note that BMW changed to a new cluster design in 2018 specifically to address this issue, but the company never offered a retrofit or recall for affected 2017 cars, despite complaints to dealers and BMW customer service going unresolved.
Failure modes owners describe
Instrument cluster backlighting inadequate in daylight/low-contrast conditions
Speedometer and tachometer gauges become unreadable or very difficult to read in daylight conditions, especially under shade, tree cover, tunnels, cloudy skies, or when wearing sunglasses. The ambient light sensor does not automatically engage backlighting in these intermediate lighting conditions. Contrast between gauge lettering and background is insufficient to compensate. Owners report having to turn on parking lights (headlights) to activate backlighting as a workaround.
When: Daylight hours; worsens under shade, overcast, or tree coverage; varies by lighting angle and conditions
Symptoms owners cite: Speedometer and tachometer unreadable or very dim during daytime driving; Particularly problematic in shaded areas, tunnels, and under tree cover; Worse when wearing sunglasses; No improvement when console light dimmer is turned to maximum; Gauges appear completely dark or lack sufficient contrast during soft daylight situations; Requires extended glances to read critical speed information; Only readable at night or dusk without manual headlight activation
Repairs/costs cited: Owners report BMW dealers have provided no solution or recall. One narrative notes that 2018 M2 model year introduced a redesigned instrument cluster that resolved this issue; affected 2017 models were not offered a retrofit or replacement.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No recalls or TSBs mentioned. BMW reportedly ignored owner inquiries. Design changed in 2018 model year but no retrofit offered to 2017 owners.
Synthesized from 15 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 15 most recent
Backlighting on instrument cluster gauges does not meet sufficient contrast requirements. It's even worse when driving through shaded areas. Tachometer and speedometer appear completely dark and unreadable. This could be an accessibility issue where certain drivers could have difficulty reading the gauge dials due to improper contrast. *tr
Poor visibility of gauge cluster in low light conditions. Makes reading the tachometer and speedometer near impossible in certain light conditions/situations. The 2018 models have a new gauge that solves this issue. I think it is a safety issue and the pre-2018 cars should be recalled to have this new cluster installed by BMW.
Instrument cluster (speedometer, tachometer) has no lighting during daylight hours. It is a dark screen much of the day and I am unable to clearly and quickly see the important gauges there, as described. BMW provides no way (back lighting, etc) to make this area visible during daylight hours. This is a safety issue.
Daytime gauge lighting is very dim. It is hard to read speedometer to tell your speed very unsafe. Have asked dealer and BMW to no avail. I have owned 8 BMW cars and never had this problem.
During certain daytime conditions, such as a cloudy day or under shade, the instrument cluster for speed, RPM, etc. , can not be read. This problem is made worse with sunglasses.
The backlighting for the tachometer and speedometer becomes completely unreadable under soft daylight situations. An example of this would be driving through a wooded area in full daylight. It appears that this issue is created be two issues. First, the color of the background and lettering on the gauges themselves do not create enough contrasting. Second, the ambient light sensor does not…
The instrument cluster gauges (speed and RPM) are very difficult to read under both bright sunny conditions, and dark shadow conditions (in a tunnel, or in shade). Wearing sunglasses? Forget seeing them at all. I find it a safety issue when I have to glance down at the gauges longer than necessary and take my eyes off the road, and squint to decipher what speed I'm going. The only way to help…
Unable to see instrument panel lighting in bright daylight conditions
The instrument panel does not have sufficient brightness and contrast. It is very difficult, sometimes impossible, to see the speedometer and tachometer readings in certain daytime lighting conditions.
When driving, the upper half of the instrument panel containing the speedometer and tachometer is completely unreadable under dark conditions such as going under a bridge or in areas with tree coverage overhead.
Had lighting trouble with your 2017 BMW M2?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the lighting problem on the 2017 BMW M2?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 15 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $250 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the lighting typically fail?
Based on the 15 complaints filed, lighting issues most often appear around 6,267 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $250 for lighting repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to lighting?
No active recalls currently cover lighting issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2017/BMW/M2.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.