BMW 550i
Owners filed 252 complaints across 11 model years of the BMW 550i. The 2011 drew the most (84); the 2016 the fewest (1).
Model years11
Complaints252
Recalls19
Fires16
Deaths0
Every BMW 550i model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 | 2 | — | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 2015 | 6 | 0 | — | — | Fuel/Propulsion System | Routine | |
| 2014 | 6 | 2 | — | — | Fuel/Propulsion System | Routine | |
| 2013 | 15 | 1 | — | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 2012 | 35 | 2 | 1 | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 2011 | 84 | 3 | 11 | 1 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2010 | 11 | 1 | — | 1 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2009 | 2 | 1 | — | — | Tires | Routine | |
| 2008 | 32 | 2 | 3 | 1 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2007 | 37 | 2 | 1 | 3 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2006 | 23 | 3 | — | 3 | Air Bags | Routine |
Which BMW 550i years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2011 is the weakest year on record, with 84 complaints concentrated in the engine. It carries 3 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.