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2013 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

Limited mileage data: 11 of 15 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 3 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 reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

Unknown Or Other complaints

2 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jul 11, 2022
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

I have soft closing doors on my vehicle. My doors won’t unlock/open, the only way I can get the driver side door open is using the physical key. When trying to unlock the door with the key fob, it makes the sound but none of the doors unlock. The unlock button inside doesn’t work and when trying to open the other doors (passenge…

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I have soft closing doors on my vehicle. My doors won’t unlock/open, the only way I can get the driver side door open is using the physical key. When trying to unlock the door with the key fob, it makes the sound but none of the doors unlock. The unlock button inside doesn’t work and when trying to open the other doors (passenger side and rear doors) manually, it won’t open! Thank goodness I didn’t have anyone in the backseat, otherwise I would have to call the fire department and they would probably have to end up breaking the glass if they couldn’t crawl through the front. I feel this is a major safety issue. The dealer said it maybe a fuse or actuator issue. To replace one actuator is $1300, and I may need to replace all four! The car is like a death trap currently, again I’m just thankful no one was in the back seat.

NHTSA ODI #11473458

72,343 miles · Jun 8, 2020
EngineUnknown Or Other

AFTER HAVING MY BMW AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR TWO WEEKS I HAD THE LOW BATTERY DISCHARGING MESSAGE COME ON WHEN I TOOK THE CAR HOME. THE DEALER ALSO PERFORMED AN OIL CHANGE LESS THAN 1K MILES PRIOR TO THIS PROBLEM. MY BATTERY DIED, LUCKILY AT EXACTLY THE TIME, I DROVE ONTO MY DRIVEWAY. THE CAR JUST STOPPED. I'M JUST GLAD I WASN'T…

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AFTER HAVING MY BMW AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR TWO WEEKS I HAD THE LOW BATTERY DISCHARGING MESSAGE COME ON WHEN I TOOK THE CAR HOME. THE DEALER ALSO PERFORMED AN OIL CHANGE LESS THAN 1K MILES PRIOR TO THIS PROBLEM. MY BATTERY DIED, LUCKILY AT EXACTLY THE TIME, I DROVE ONTO MY DRIVEWAY. THE CAR JUST STOPPED. I'M JUST GLAD I WASN'T ON THE HIGHWAY OR GOING FASTER SPEEDS. I ATTEMPTED TO JUMP IT AND CHARGE IT BUT IT WOULDN'T START. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD MY ENGINE HAD LOCKED UP AND THERE WERE METAL SHAVINGS IN THE OIL FILTER AND I NEED A NEW ENGINE ($13,000). I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS HAPPENED AND THE DEALER CAN'T TELL ME WHAT CAUSED THIS. I DIDN'T GET ANY WARNINGS, CAR DROVE FINE OTHER THAN THE BATTERY DISCHARGING AND YOUR USUAL DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION MESSAGE AFTER THE CAR WOULDN'T START. I'M TRYING TO WORK WITH THE DEALERSHIP BUT I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANYWHERE YET. THIS IS A 2013 550I M SPORT WITH 72,343 MILES ON THE CAR. THE CAR HAS BEEN KEPT UP AND IS UP TO DATE ON MAINTENANCE. I'VE READ ABOUT ISSUES WITH THE N63 ENGINE BUT I CAN'T BELIEVE A CAR WITH 72K MILES WILL JUST DIE. A CAR STALLING OUT AND STOPPING IS NOT A GOOD THING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11327711

Official recalls

1

15V188000 · Exterior Lighting

Mar 31, 2015

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2013 528i, 528i xDrive, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i, 550i xDrive, and ActiveHybrid 5 vehicles. The rear reflex reflectors may not reflect enough light. As such, the vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The vehicle may be less visible to other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear reflex reflectors, free of charge. The recall began July 28, 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.