BMW 650i

Where it stands out against its peers

• Engine: more complaints than 93% of 2012 cars — 59% of its 22 complaints, where an ordinary 2012 car has 21%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

80% of 2017 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 16V746000

  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.

  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.

• 16V914000

  If the air bag inflator initiator fails to ignite, the seat-mounted air bag will not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.

  BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began February 6, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

• 18V248000

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

  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.

• 24V527000

  An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, increasing the risk of injury or death.

  The driver's front air bag will be replaced, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Engineering analysis, opened September 2021, still open.

• Bmw airbag light illumination

  Engineering analysis, opened January 2008, closed December 2008.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

BMW filed 51 bulletins about the 2018 650i.

• Equipment: 15
• Electrical system: 11
• Communication: 4
• Service brakes, hydraulic: 4
• Engine and engine cooling: 3
• Engine: 2
• Wheels: 2
• Back over prevention: 1
• Equipment adaptive/mobility: 1
• Fuel system, gasoline: 1
• Other: 7

• N63tu1 class action settlement svc campaign: oil consumption diagnosis/repair · February 2026
• The Telematics Control Units (TCU) Internal Emergency (Backup) Battery for defects in materials and/or workmanship has been extended to 6 years without mileage limitation, as determined from the… · January 2025
• The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met. · February 2024
• The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers… · February 2024
• Pressure control valve (pcv) extended ltd wty 15 years/150,000 miles · December 2023
• The Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) warning light comes on while driving. The following DSC fault codes for the wheel speed sensors are stored: 480712 and/or 480715 and/or 480718 and/or 48071B They… · July 2023
• After programming the head unit (HU-H2), activating the FSC (German word Freischaltcode) Enabling Codes repeatedly fails. · June 2023
• With the court's FINAL approval, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) has entered into a nationwide settlement with the plaintiffs in the following class action: Isley, et al. v. Bayerische Motoren… · June 2023

43 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.