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2012 BMW 550I

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

29 reports with mileage · 6 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Tires. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports

What owners actually said

35 reports
82,000 miles · Mar 6, 2019
Service Brakes

THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME INCREDIBLY HARD TO PRESS DOWN TO GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP WHILE IT WAS IN MOTION ON A STREET. THE CAR DEALER REPAIR TOLD ME THE VACUUM PUMP HAD FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #11184594

60,000 miles · Oct 12, 2018
Fuel/propulsion System

"TAKATA RECALL" OUR CAR STARTED FLASHING "INCREASED BATTERY DISCHARGE" AND "ALL ELECTRICAL DEVICES WILL SHUT OFF" WE TOOK IT TO THE BMW HOUSE. THEY DIAGNOSED IT, AS NEEDING A NEW BATTERY. WE REPLACED THE BATTERY AND 1 WEEK LATER THE SAME MESSAGE CAME ON AGAIN "INCREASED BATTERY DISCHARGE' "ALL ELECTRICAL DEVICES WILL SHUT OFF" …

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"TAKATA RECALL" OUR CAR STARTED FLASHING "INCREASED BATTERY DISCHARGE" AND "ALL ELECTRICAL DEVICES WILL SHUT OFF" WE TOOK IT TO THE BMW HOUSE. THEY DIAGNOSED IT, AS NEEDING A NEW BATTERY. WE REPLACED THE BATTERY AND 1 WEEK LATER THE SAME MESSAGE CAME ON AGAIN "INCREASED BATTERY DISCHARGE' "ALL ELECTRICAL DEVICES WILL SHUT OFF" . WE HAD TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE BMW HOUSE AND THEY DIAGNOSED IT THIS TIME AS NEEDING THE EXTERNAL DOOR HANDLE REPLACED, THEY SAID THE DOOR HANDLE HAD GONE OUT AND THAT SOME PART IN THAT HANDLE PUTS THE CAR TO SLEEP BUT IT WAS NOT ALLOWING THE CAR TO GO TO SLEEP AND THIS PULLED THE BATTERY DOWN. WE REPLACED THAT. THAT LASTED 2 WEEKS AND AGAIN THIS SAME MESSAGE CAME "INCREASED BATTERY DISCHARGE" "ELECTRICAL DEVICES ARE SHUTTING DOWN. I WAS ON THE WAY TO THE BMW HOUSE ONCE AGAIN IT STARTED TO SMELL LIKE WIRES BURNING AND UNDER THE CONSOLE WHERE THE GEAR IS STARTED TO SMOKE BAD!! TO THE POINT THAT I PARKED THE CAR THEN I CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. OUR CAR HAD TO BE HAULED TO THE BMW HOUSE. IT IS UNKNOWN WHY ALL THIS HAPPENED.

NHTSA ODI #11139976

35,000 miles · Apr 29, 2018
Fuel/propulsion System

FUEL PUMP DISENGAGES WHEN THE CAR GETS TOO HOT. IT'S HAPPENED THREE TIMES FORTUNATELY EACH TIME I WAS GOING 20 MPH OR LESS. THE CAR ESSENTIALLY STALLS OUT AND AT HIGHER SPEEDS COULD BE AN ISSUE. BMW HAS MADE A FUEL PUMP RECALL BUT THE 2012 550I DID NOT QUALIFY AND I BELIEVE IT SHOULD.

NHTSA ODI #11090889

112,000 miles · Aug 21, 2017
Engine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 550I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHOOK. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE SHOOK AGAIN. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER A SECOND TIME AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, IT FAILE…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 550I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHOOK. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE SHOOK AGAIN. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER A SECOND TIME AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, IT FAILED TO RESTART THE SECOND TIME. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO NALLY BMW IN DECATUR, GA WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WERE METAL SHAVINGS IN THE OIL AND THERE WAS A LOUD KNOCKING SOUND IN THE ENGINE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN CUSTOMER SERVICE RECALL NUMBER: N63. REPAIRS NEEDED TO BE PERFORMED TO THE ENGINE IN ORDER TO AVOID THE FAILURES LISTED PREVIOUSLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY AND OPENED A CASE REGARDING THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.

NHTSA ODI #11016516

40,800 miles · Jan 19, 2015
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

THE CAR THREW A DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION CODE WHICH HAPPENS WEEKLY ON THESE ENGINES AND THE CAR JUMPED A LANE AS IT MISFIRED AND WENT INTO LIMP DRIVING MODE. IF THERE WAS CARS NEXT TO ME THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A CRASH. SINCE THEN BMW HAS ISSUED A CUSTOMER CAMPAIGN ON THE N63 ENGINE EFFECTING THOUGHTS OF CARS. THEY ARE CHANGING TON…

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THE CAR THREW A DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION CODE WHICH HAPPENS WEEKLY ON THESE ENGINES AND THE CAR JUMPED A LANE AS IT MISFIRED AND WENT INTO LIMP DRIVING MODE. IF THERE WAS CARS NEXT TO ME THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A CRASH. SINCE THEN BMW HAS ISSUED A CUSTOMER CAMPAIGN ON THE N63 ENGINE EFFECTING THOUGHTS OF CARS. THEY ARE CHANGING TONS OF PARTS FROM INJECTORS TO FUEL RAILS. IT SHOULD BE A FULL BLOWN RECALL AND THE NHTSA SHOULD GET INVOLVED ON THIS. MY CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP SINCE 12/23 AND STILL HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED CORRECTLY. I HAVE A FEELING YOU ARE GOING TO BE GETTING THOUSANDS OF THESE COMPLAINTS AGAINST BMW. THEY NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THESE FAILURES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10676388

8,500 miles · Sep 16, 2014
Engine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 550I. THE VEHICLE STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AS ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS HYDRO-LOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MAN…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 550I. THE VEHICLE STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AS ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS HYDRO-LOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,500. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #10633756

30,000 miles · Jun 12, 2014
TiresWheels

I HAVE NOW DRIVEN MY 2012 BMW 550I X DRIVE FOR APPROXIMATELY 22,000 MILES. I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO REPLACE 5 RUN FLAT TIRES IN THE PAST 11 MONTHS. TWO GOODYEAR EXCELLENCE ROF AND 3 DUNLOP SP SPORT MAX GT. THREE TIRES DEVELOPED BUBBLES ON THE SIDEWALL AND I CANNOT THINK OF A PREVIOUS IMPACT THAT STOOD OUT IN MY MIND. TWO TIRES …

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I HAVE NOW DRIVEN MY 2012 BMW 550I X DRIVE FOR APPROXIMATELY 22,000 MILES. I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO REPLACE 5 RUN FLAT TIRES IN THE PAST 11 MONTHS. TWO GOODYEAR EXCELLENCE ROF AND 3 DUNLOP SP SPORT MAX GT. THREE TIRES DEVELOPED BUBBLES ON THE SIDEWALL AND I CANNOT THINK OF A PREVIOUS IMPACT THAT STOOD OUT IN MY MIND. TWO TIRES RAPIDLY DEFLATED AFTER COMING IN CONTACT WITH POT HOLES. THE COMBINATION OF THE TIGHT SUSPENSION ALONG WITH THE LOW PROFILE OF THE RUN FLAT TIRES MAKES THIS COMBINATION VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10597826

Mileage unknown · Apr 3, 2014
Tires

REPEATED SIDEWALL BUBBLES WITH 2012 BMW 550XI GOODYEAR LS II 245/40/19 RUNFLAT TIRES. 6 TIRES NEEDING TO BE REPLACED WITHIN 33,000 MILES DUE TO SIDEWALL BUBBLES. SIGNIFICANT ISSUE ALSO APPEARS ON SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE (WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM) AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS THAT I HAVE DIRECTLY SPOKEN WITH WHO HAVE SAME CAR AND TIRE CONFIGU…

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REPEATED SIDEWALL BUBBLES WITH 2012 BMW 550XI GOODYEAR LS II 245/40/19 RUNFLAT TIRES. 6 TIRES NEEDING TO BE REPLACED WITHIN 33,000 MILES DUE TO SIDEWALL BUBBLES. SIGNIFICANT ISSUE ALSO APPEARS ON SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE (WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM) AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS THAT I HAVE DIRECTLY SPOKEN WITH WHO HAVE SAME CAR AND TIRE CONFIGURATION. ALTHOUGH I AM FILING A SINGLE COMPLAINT, THIS IS A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT HAPPENED TO 6 SEPARATE TIRES THAT WERE ON MY AUTOMOBILE. ALL 4 TIRE LOCATIONS WERE AFFECTED. OF NOTE, REPORTED TO BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS BUT THEY WOULD NOT PERMIT ME TO SPEAK WITH OR PROVIDE CONTACT INFORMATION TO THEIR PRODUCT SAFETY DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO FILE A PRODUCT SAFETY COMPLAINT. THEREFORE, I AM FILING A COMPLAINT WITH YOUR AGENCY. THE INCIDENTS OCCURRED OVER 2013-2014 BETWEEN APPROXIMATELY MILE 15K AND 33K. ONE INCIDENT OCCURRED WITH A TIRE THAT WAS ONLY 3 WEEKS OLD (IT HAD JUST BEEN REPLACED). INCIDENTS WERE NOT ALWAYS ASSOCIATED WITH WINTER WEATHER OR POTHOLES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10577249

39,000 miles · Jan 17, 2014
Tires

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 550XI. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH GOODYEAR TIRES, SIZE 245/40/R19. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE WHEN DRIVING CARIOUS SPEEDS. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE SEVERAL BUBBLES ON ALL FOUR TIRES. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 550XI. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH GOODYEAR TIRES, SIZE 245/40/R19. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE WHEN DRIVING CARIOUS SPEEDS. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE SEVERAL BUBBLES ON ALL FOUR TIRES. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED ALL FOUR TIRES WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND DOT NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE OF BOTH THE TIRE AND THE VEHICLE WAS 39,000.

NHTSA ODI #10560360

9,280 miles · Jul 30, 2013
TiresWheels

WE WERE TRAVELING ON A HIGHWAY, HIT A SMALL POTHOLE AND IMMEDIATELY OUR LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING WENT OFF. MY HUSBAND WHO WAS DRIVING THE CAR, PULLED TO SAFE LOCATION, GOT OUT TO INSPECT THE PASSENGER FRONT TIRE TO FIND THAT THE GOODYEAR TIRE HAD ACTUALLY BLOWN OUT. WE HAD A 4 INCH TEAR IN THE TIRE JUST ABOVE THE RIM. THIS IS T…

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WE WERE TRAVELING ON A HIGHWAY, HIT A SMALL POTHOLE AND IMMEDIATELY OUR LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING WENT OFF. MY HUSBAND WHO WAS DRIVING THE CAR, PULLED TO SAFE LOCATION, GOT OUT TO INSPECT THE PASSENGER FRONT TIRE TO FIND THAT THE GOODYEAR TIRE HAD ACTUALLY BLOWN OUT. WE HAD A 4 INCH TEAR IN THE TIRE JUST ABOVE THE RIM. THIS IS THE THIRD DUNLOP TIRE THAT WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE WITH THE SAME ISSUES IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS. THE FIRST TIRE WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH BUBBLED, THE 2ND ALSO BUBBLED BUT WITH ONLY 100 MILES ON IT, AND THEN THE LAST WHICH ACTUALLY BLEW OUT COMPLETELY. WE HAVE HAD MADE NUMEROUS CALLS TO DUNLOP AND BMW EXPRESSING OUR SAFETY CONCERN WITH THESE TIRES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10532606

Official recalls

2

18V248000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine; Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline:turbo/supercharger

Apr 18, 2018

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 BMW 550i, 550i xDrive, 550i Gran Turismo, 550i Gran Turismo xDrive, 750i, 750Li, 750i xDrive, 750Li xDrive, 760Li, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M, ActiveHybrid7, MINI Cooper S Convertible, John Cooper Works (JCW) Convertible, Cooper S Countryman, Cooper S Countryman ALL4, Cooper S, JCW, Cooper S Clubman, JCW Clubman, Cooper S Roadster, JCW Roadster, Cooper S Coupe, JCW Coupe and Rolls-Royce Ghost, 2011 BMW X6 Hybrid and 2012 BMW 650i Coupe, 650i xDrive Coupe, 650i Convertible and 650i xDrive Convertible vehicles. The electric auxiliary water pump may fail and cause the circuit board to overheat.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the circuit board were to overheat, it can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the electric auxiliary water pump, free of charge. Depending on the model, there are currently limited parts available, however not all parts are available at this time. Owners will be notified of the recall beginning June 11, 2018, and will receive a second notification when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at BMW 1-800-525-7417, MINI at 1-866-825-1525, or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Note: BMW recommends that owners park their vehicle outdoors until the recall remedy has been performed.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline:turbo/supercharger

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 BMW 550i, 550i xDrive, 550i Gran Turismo, 550i Gran Turismo xDrive, 750i, 750Li, 750i xDrive, 750Li xDrive, 760Li, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M, ActiveHybrid7, MINI Cooper S Convertible, John Cooper Works (JCW) Convertible, Cooper S Countryman, Cooper S Countryman ALL4, Cooper S, JCW, Cooper S Clubman, JCW Clubman, Cooper S Roadster, JCW Roadster, Cooper S Coupe, JCW Coupe and Rolls-Royce Ghost, 2011 BMW X6 Hybrid and 2012 BMW 650i Coupe, 650i xDrive Coupe, 650i Convertible and 650i xDrive Convertible vehicles. The electric auxiliary water pump may fail and cause the circuit board to overheat.

Consequence: If the circuit board were to overheat, it can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the electric auxiliary water pump, free of charge. Depending on the model, there are currently limited parts available, however not all parts are available at this time. Owners will be notified of the recall beginning June 11, 2018, and will receive a second notification when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at BMW 1-800-525-7417, MINI at 1-866-825-1525, or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Note: BMW recommends that owners park their vehicle outdoors until the recall remedy has been performed.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 BMW 550i, 550i xDrive, 550i Gran Turismo, 550i Gran Turismo xDrive, 750i, 750Li, 750i xDrive, 750Li xDrive, 760Li, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M, ActiveHybrid7, MINI Cooper S Convertible, John Cooper Works (JCW) Convertible, Cooper S Countryman, Cooper S Countryman ALL4, Cooper S, JCW, Cooper S Clubman, JCW Clubman, Cooper S Roadster, JCW Roadster, Cooper S Coupe, JCW Coupe and Rolls-Royce Ghost, 2011 BMW X6 Hybrid and 2012 BMW 650i Coupe, 650i xDrive Coupe, 650i Convertible and 650i xDrive Convertible vehicles. The electric auxiliary water pump may fail and cause the circuit board to overheat.

Consequence: If the circuit board were to overheat, it can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the electric auxiliary water pump, free of charge. Depending on the model, there are currently limited parts available, however not all parts are available at this time. Owners will be notified of the recall beginning June 11, 2018, and will receive a second notification when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at BMW 1-800-525-7417, MINI at 1-866-825-1525, or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Note: BMW recommends that owners park their vehicle outdoors until the recall remedy has been performed.

16V746000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Oct 17, 2016

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 BMW X5 3.0si, X5 4.8i, X5 M, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive48i and X5 xDrive50i, 2008-2011 X6 x Drive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6 M, 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid, 535i xDrive Gran Turismo, 535i Gran Turismo, 550i xDrive Gran Turismo and 550i Gran Turismo, 2011-2012 528i, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i and 550i xDrive and 2012 535i ActiveHybrid, 640i Convertible, 650i Convertible, 650i xDrive Convertible, 650i Coupe and 650i Coupe xDrive vehicles. The affected vehicles have in-tank fuel pumps that may have insufficiently crimped wire contacts.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The loose wires may cause the connector to melt, resulting in a fuel leak. Additionally, the fuel pump may stop working, possibly causing an engine stall and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. The recall began February 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.