Owners have filed 134 complaints on the BMW 550i, covering 2011–2015. The system named most often is Engine (22 reports). Worst years by volume: 2011, 2012, 2013; cleanest: 2014, 2015, 2013. 1 reports describe a crash, 13 a fire. On average the car was 6.1 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on BMW 550i
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 134 550i complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Engine 22 Read
The high pressure fuel pump caused a fire in the engine compartment and totaled the car with less than 60k miles on it
The 2011 bmw 550i had just recently been parked and turned off. After no more than 10 minutes after it was parked, it burst into flames coming from the engine compartment on the passenger side. Then very quickly spread throughout the entire car. The car was parked in an attached garage thus not only completely burning…
I own my bmw 550i gran turismo sedan 2011 f10(n63). There is a recall on my exact model. NHTSA number: 18V248000/ engine and engine cooling. I am having the same exact issues that the recall shows. I have proof of documents showing my water pump failing, getting service water pump and alternator repair. August 24,…
Electrical System 18 Read
My 2011 bmw 550igt driven for 43200 miles was parked in my driveway with ignition turned off (for at least 45 minutes). Noticed smoke coming out from the trunk, where the battery is located
The contact owns a 2011 bmw 550i. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle would not shift back into park. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed that the wiring that connected to the fuse box and battery was not properly attached to…
Our car's electrical panel lit up before the car stalled on two separate occasions. The first time, bmw replace the battery. The second time, bmw replaced the alternator. 12 days after being serviced by bmw, our house burned down due to a fire originating on the front left side of the bmw. That afternoon, my husband…
Power Train 18 Read
Oil leak between the engine and transmission commonly known as bell housing
The transmission's automatic gear selector indicator lights are no longer working properly. Without the indicator lights, it is difficult to determine if the vehicle is in Park, Drive or Reverse which is a MAJOR safety issue. This is apparently a well known issue with this vehicle model and no recall has been issued…
Engine continues to burn through oil approximately every 1,500 miles, which could leave the vehicle stranded and inoperable. It's unacceptable in a brand new vehicle
Fuel/propulsion System 17 Read
The contact owns a 2011 bmw 550i. While driving unknown speeds, a fuel odor was detected in the rear of the vehicle as well as smoke in the front of the vehicle. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump failed. The vehicle…
When driving in freeway , Vehicles display " Drivetrain malfunction " - fuel supply full drive performance not available and begins to shut off abruptly in lanes. Can not restart vehicles. Vehicles can not be towed off the freeway lanes due to not begin able to put vehicle in Neutral mode. Vehicle was taken to local…
Fuel pump supply / drive train malfunction. Vehicle was driven in freeway and has sudden message pop up on display screen and abruptly shut down. Unable to exit the freeway lanes. Stuck on the inbound lanes of freeway. Unable to re start vehicle to exit freeway. Took vehicle to local repair shop for inspection/repair…
Tires 11 Read
Goodyear 245-45-19 2 tires tread separating. Verified at discount tire not safe at any speed
1. New 2012 bmw 550xi m sport package w/approx. 6,700 miles on four oem goodyear eagle ls2 rof 245/40r19 98v (DOT ne66 jp1r 3411) tires. No recollection of hitting any potholes, speedbumps, curbs, etc. 2. Noticed approx. 2.5" x 1" bubble on front driver side tire sidewall after parking at workplace. No crashes or…
Front tire buldge after driving over a recessed man whole cover-this is the 3rd tire I replaced . The tires are goodyear 245/40 r19 eagle run flats these tires are dangerous , they are not safe
Air Bags 6 Read
I was rear ended on the left side exiting the freeway when my car spun to the right into a guardrail head on and continued into a 360 degree motion. The roads were clear and normal weather conditions. After my vehicle stopped spinning my vehicle had a message stating restraint system failure and the airbags never…
Passenger restraint system malfunction
This is for a 2014 BMW 550i. Getting a red warning light indicating the passenger airbag is malfunctioning. The driver side had a recall but not the passenger. This is very dangerous and should be addressed. The dealership wants over $2,700 to fix it. Doesn't feel right. Reading on the message boards and sounds to be…
Steering 6 Read
Clicking noise and steering wheel vibration while the car is in motion. Bmw acknowledges the problem, they say with the interactive steering system, but they do not have a fix. Symptoms are getting worse by the day and I believe safety is an issue here
Bmw tears up tires causing them to shread while driving down road. After two alignments in a year. No front end damage per bmw
The contact owns a 2012 bmw 550i. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact also stated that on various occasion, the steering wheel vibrated uncontrollably without warning when the brake pedal was depressed. The contact also stated that there was a…
Fuel System 5 Read
The contact owns a 2013 BMW 550i. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the warning message illuminated on the instrument panel stating, “Driving moderately and drive pit not available”. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the high-speed fuel pump on the passenger’s side was replaced but the failure continued.…
The contact owns a 2012 bmw 550i gran turismo. The contact stated that while her son was driving at 45 mph, the vehicle loss power and stalled without warning. The vehicle was pulled to the side of the road and restarted. The vehicle jerked. The vehicle was taken to the classic bmw located at 6800 dallas pkwy, plano,…
The contact owns a 2012 bmw 550i. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the drivetrain malfunction warning light appeared on the instrument panel. The contact also noticed that the warning light was illuminated upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact also stated that the vehicle hesitated…
550i years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Fuel/propulsion System | — | — | |
| 2014 | Air Bags | — | — | |
| 2013 | Electrical System,unknown Or Other | — | — | |
| 2012 | Electrical System,engine | — | 1 | |
| 2011 | Air Bags | 1 | 12 |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 75 |
| Average complaints per series | 1.8 |
| Worst single series | 9 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 6.1 years |
A model average of 1.8 hides a worst series at 9. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the 550i?
By complaint volume, 2011, 2012, 2013 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which 550i years are the cleanest?
2014, 2015, 2013 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the BMW 550i have?
134 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2011–2015. Of those, 1 describe a crash and 13 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.