2007 BMW 650i

Fatalities reported

Owners filed 22 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical System5
020
Service Brakes3
000
Air Bags3
000
Seats2
020
Seat Belts2
000
Power Train2
000
Wheels › Rim1
000
Vehicle Speed Control1
000
Suspension1
000
Steering1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Engine and Engine Cooling07V479000
Filed Oct 12, 200729,250 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc

Defect. ON CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH V8 ENGINES, IN CONDITIONS OF BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES COMBINED WITH LOW HUMIDITY, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE TO OCCUR AT THE FUEL RAILS. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, THE ENGINE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) COULD BE AFFECTED SO THAT ENGINE STALLING COULD RESULT.

Risk. IF STALLING WERE TO OCCUR, THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN VEHICLE SPEED OR ACCELERATE AND THE POWER STEERING COULD FAIL INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL ATTACH TWO GROUND CABLES IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 29, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical SystemFire
Filed Apr 9, 2022DE

My bmw start smoking from the inside then caught on fire it was a electric fire on the light module

Air Bags
Filed Jan 20, 2022FL

2007 BMW 650I. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. THE CONSUMER STATED THE OUTLINE OF THE AIRBAG WAS VISIBLE THROUGH THE DASHBOARD. THIS WAS CREATING MOISTURE AND A CRACK WAS FORMING. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE.

Air Bags
Filed Jan 25, 2020103,000 milesNC

NOVEMBER 2019 I WAS DRIVING DOWN NORTH TRYON AN MY CAR JUST SHUT DOWN OUT OF NO WHERE, AND I ALSO HAVE A COOLANT PROBLEM . MY CONTACT # IS [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Electrical System
Filed Mar 19, 2019100,000 milesFL

DASHBOARD COMPLETELY CRACKED! SAME PROBLEM WITH CAR NOT STARTING LIGHTS ON DAS FLASHING ! BOUGHT IT USED 4 YRS AGO ON 3RD BATTERY SEVERS THOUSAND DOLLARS LATER I JUST PICKED UP AT SERVICE CENTER AGAIN . DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO GO WITH THIS, PLEASE HELP!!! THANKS

SeatsFire
Filed Feb 15, 2017110,000 milesVA

ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2017, AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30 PM, I HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 1/2 MILE FROM HOME WHEN I BEGAN TO SMELL SOMETHING BURNING. I WAS ON A TWO-LANE HIGHWAY, IN A 55 MPH ZONE (E. COLONIAL HWY, GOING FROM LEESBURG TO HAMILTON). I LOOKED AROUND ME, INSIDE THE CAR, AND SAW NOTHING THAT WOULD PRODUCE THAT KIND OF SMELL. I WONDERED IF I WAS SMELLING SOMETHING OUTSIDE. THEN, WITHIN SECONDS OF THAT THOUGHT, I STARTED TO SEE SMOKE RISING, ORIGINATING FROM UNDER MY LEFT ELBOW. I WAS STILL DRIVING, AND COULD NOT SEE THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE. BUT, THE SMELL OF BURNING AND THE STREAM OF SMOKE CONTINUED TO GROW STRONGER. AT THIS POINT, I WAS APPROXIMATELY A MILE FROM MY HOME AND I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT (THE HARMONY PARK AND RIDE LOT). I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND SAW A BURN MARK IN THE LOWER THIRD OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK, IN THE PANEL OF THE SEAT NEAREST TO THE WINDOW. THE MARK WAS SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN THE BURN MARK A CIGARETTE MIGHT MAKE. INSIDE THE BURN MARK, I COULD SEE A SMALL, RED, EMBER-LIKE LIGHT GLOWING. I THEN TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. I COULD NO LONGER SEE THE EMBER-LIKE LIGHT, AND EVENTUALLY, THE SMOKE STOPPED. I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF THE BMW DEALERSHIP IN FAIRFAX FOR GUIDANCE. THEY SUGGESTED I HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THEM FOR DIAGNOSTICS. I FOLLOWED THEIR ADVICE. THOUGH THE TECHNICIAN THAT I SPOKE WITH HADN'T HANDLED OR HEARD OF A SITUATION LIKE THIS, HE SUSPECTED THE LUMBAR HEATING PAD IN THE SEAT BACK HAD MALFUNCTIONED.

Electrical System
Filed Nov 12, 201669,000 milesNY

ELECTRIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK MALFUNCTION. STEERING WHEEL CANNOT BE UNLOCKED/LOCKED. ENGINE STALLED, STEERING WHEEL TEMPORARILY LOCKED. ENGINE CANNOT BE RESTARTED. THE CAR WAS MOVING WHEN WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE PULLING INTO SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT. CALLED AAA AND HAD CAR TAKEN BY FLATBED TO HUDSON VALLEY BMW IN POUGHKEEPSIE, NY 12601 AT ABOUT 14:30 HRS 11/12/2016.

Seat Belts
Filed Sep 8, 201634,000 milesKS

MY BMW HAD 2 SEAT BELTS LATCHING MECHANISMS THAT WERE DEFECTIVE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. I AM WONDERING IF THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THE MAKE AND/OR MODEL THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED. ONE WAS FOR A REAR SEAT BELT SEVERAL YEARS AGO (APPROX 2011) AND THE OTHER WAS A DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT THAT HAPPENED IN 2016.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Dec 29, 2015117,250 milesCA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 650I. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BEFORE REAR ENDING ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE, THERE WOULD BE THROTTLE LAG AND THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE TO MOVE AFTER THE INDEPENDENT ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,250.

Power Train
Filed Dec 21, 201581,000 milesMD

VEHICLE DOWN SIFTED WHILE IN AUTOMATIC MODE TO SAFE MODE. THE VEHICLES TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFTED WHILE OPERATING AT 75 MPH ON BELTWAY. VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED INTO "LIMP" MODE WITH SPEEDS LIMITATION. THIS TRANSMISSION FAILURE IS COMMON WITH THIS ZF TRANSMISSION THAT IS A SHIFTABLE AUTOMATIC MODEL. .

Electrical System
Filed Oct 19, 201541,000 milesLA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 650I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, THE IGNITION FAILED WHILE THE LOCK STEERING WHEEL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 41,000.

Electrical SystemFire
Filed May 13, 201599,000 milesNJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 650I. WHILE PARKED, THE POSITIVE WIRES IN THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. IT WAS UNKNOWN HOW THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRE HARNESS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,000.

SeatsFire
Filed Nov 6, 201485,000 milesOR

SMELT SMOKE IN THE CAR AND REALIZED IT WAS COMING FROM THE DRIVERS SEAT. THE SEAT WARMER OVERHEATED TO THE POINT IT BURNT THRU THE SEAT AND WAS CAUSING THE SMOKE AND YOU COULD SEE THE WIRE WAS GLOWING RED HOT. *TR

Seat Belts
Filed Sep 11, 201448,500 milesFL

THE PASSENGER SEAT MAT SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE AND CANNOT TELL WHEN A PASSENGER IS SEATED, THEREFORE, NOT ALLOWING A PASSENGER AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. THE SRS AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT APPEARS. THE PASSENGER SEAT HAS NOT BEEN TAMPERED WITH, RARELY BEEN SAT IN, AND THE DEFECT CANNOT BE ATTRIBUTED TO ANY ERROR ON MY PART. "RESTRAINT PASSENGER MALFUNCTION" IS COVERING MY DISPLAY. *TR

Service Brakes
Filed Jul 15, 201430,000 milesCA

ON A ROUTINE CHECK, MY 2007 BMW 650I WAS DIAGNOSED TO HAVE AN OIL LEAK FROM THE BRAKE VACUUM PUMP. THIS LEAK PROGRESSED UNTIL ONE DAY THE SMELL OF BURNING OIL WAS ENCOUNTERED FOR A FEW SECONDS. I WAS TOLD REPLACEMENT WOULD BE 1000 DOLLARS; THUS I LOOKED TO BUY AND REPLACE THE PART MYSELF. HOWEVER, UPON SEARCHING FOR THE PART, I CAME ACROSS RECALL NO. 10V-446, AS APPARENTLY MANY 6 AND 7-SERIES HAVE EXPERIENCED A VACUUM PUMP LEAK. EVEN THOUGH MY CAR (E63) FIT THE RECALL DATES, I WAS TOLD BY MY DEALER AND BMW NORTH AMERICA THAT SINCE MY ENGINE WAS N62TU AND NOT N62T, IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED. THIS IS QUITE REMARKABLE CONSIDERING THIS VACUUM PUMP LEAK IS PRECISELY THE ISSUE I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH OVER THE LAST YEAR AND THE BRAKE VACUUM PUMP/LINING IN THIS ENGINE MODEL HAS EXACTLY THE SAME PARTS AND SETUP AS THE RECALLED SYSTEM AND IN MY VIEW, SHOULD THUS BE COVERED. *TR

Air Bags
Filed Jun 4, 201450,000 milesFL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 650I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

Suspension
Filed Apr 14, 201437,000 milesCA

BOUGHT CAR IN 03-13-2013 2 WKS AFTER PURCHASE CAR FISHED TAIL TO THE RIGHT SPOKE TO MC KENNA SALES REP ABOUT ISSUE, 6-21-13 AT 35,254 BOUGHT NEW REAR TIRES, SINCE TIRES WITH CAR WERE GONE (INNER WEAR), CARS NEVER STOPS VEERING TO RIGHT, PROBLEM WORSENS WITH TIME VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AT LEGAL SPEEDS. EVEN WORSE ON RAINING DAY AND SMALL PUMPS ON ROAD, EVEN THE SMALL STREET REFLECTORS. HAD TO BUY NEW TIRES ARE AGAIN AT 39,487 /06-21-2013/ MILES THIS TIME WENT STRAIGHT TO DEALER SPOKE PORSCHE GEN. MANAGER. AND ASSIST. MANAGER (PRIMO) WE VOICED OUR CONCERNS WITH THE CAR. STATED THAT THE CAR NEVER STOPS VEERING TO THE RIGHT WITH TIME ISSUE WORSENS AS TIRES WEAR OUT. WE DID ALL THE NECESSARY WITH MC KENNA BMW DEALER PAID 2104.87 FOR TIRES AND A SERIOUS OF WORK THAT THEY SAID WE DID NOT DO BACK IN 6-21-13. I WANT TO POINT OUT THE TIRES PURCHASED IN 6-21-.13 LAST LONGER THEN THEIR SPEC TIRES PURCHASED IN 11-25-13. CAR VEERING TO THE RIGHT AND TIRES GONE AGAIN 04-11-14. DROVE TO MC KENNA TO SPEAK TO MANAGER. WE DID SPEAK TO PRIMO. VOICED ARE CONCERNS AGAIN ABOUT HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO CONTROL THE CAR. WE SHOWED PRIMO THE TIRES GONE AGAIN BOTH THE RIGHT AND LEFT. MENTIONED THAT ON OUR WAY TO MC KENNA DEALER IN NORWALK RIGHT TIRE BLEW OUT EXISTING THE FIRESTONE EXIT. EXTREME WIRES SHOWING IN THE INNER TIRE. POINTED OUT THE LEFT REAR IS ALSO STARTING TO GO. PRIMO AGREED THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS AND THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE IN THIS CONDITION. WE ADVISED PRIMO THAT WE DID ALL THAT WA

Service Brakes
Filed Dec 13, 201360,000 milesFL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 650I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, HE DEPRESSED THE BRAKES BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL FOR THE BRAKE BOOSTER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

Steering
Filed May 24, 201356,000 milesCA

MY CAR WILL INTERMITTENTLY NOT START. THERE IS A WARNING ON THE ON BOARD COMPUTER THAT THE CAR'S STEERING WHEEL LOCK HAS MALFUNCTIONED AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. THE SCREEN SAYS TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL TO START THE CAR. IT USUALLY TAKE SEVERAL MINUTES OF TUGGING ON THE WHEEL AND IT WILL START AGAIN. THIS HAPPENS ALMOST EVERY TIME I START THE CAR NOW. *TR

Power Train
Filed Mar 6, 201322,143 milesMD

I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 95 FROM WASHINGTON DC TO RICHMOND, VA AT ABOUT 65-75 MPH. AT AROUND THE KINGS DOMINION EXIT, I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE IN ORDER TO GET INTO A SLOWER LANE TO LET FASTER TRAFFIC PASS. THAT'S WHEN I NOTICE THE RPM'S WENT UP TO 8X1000 AND THE CAR WAS NOT ACCELERATING. I WAS NOW COASTING AT AROUND 60 MPH AND IMPEDING TRAFFIC ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY. BEING THAT THIS PARTICULAR STRETCH OF HIGHWAY IS ABOUT 6-7 LANES WIDE, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS GETTING OVER TO THE RIGHT HAND SHOULDER. I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE TO MY DESTINATION WITHOUT HAVING THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE AT NORMAL RATE. I HAD TO PUSH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SLIGHTLY SO THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT JUMP OUT OF GEAR. I MADE IT BACK HOME LATER THAT DAY HAVING TO DRIVE IN THE SAME MANNER. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR UP MY SLIGHTLY SLOPED DRIVEWAY BY TRYING SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE IF I PRESSED THE PEDAL TOO HARD, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD JUMP OUT OF GEAR. AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF RESEARCH, I LEARNED THAT THIS HAS BEEN A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN BMW'S WITH THE SMG TRANSMISSION. SO I WAITED SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE DRIVING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE DEALERSHIP, THEY HAD TO PUSH MY CAR INTO THE SERVICE BAY BECAUSE IT WOULD NO LONGER STAY IN GEAR. I WAS TOLD THAT THE SMG MODULE NEEDED REPLACING. I CALLED BMW TO COMPLAIN AND ASKED IF THIS WAS A RECALLED ISSUE SINCE IT HAPPENED TO MANY VEHICLES AND BECAUSE IT PUT ME IN A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING SITUATION ON THE HIGHWAY. I WAS TH

Service Brakes
Filed Nov 8, 201293,000 milesCA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 650I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE POWER ASSIST BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND WHEN ARRIVING AT HIS DESTINATION, HE NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V446000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 94,500.

20 of 22 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2007
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20171100Routine
20154100Routine
20146000Routine
201316010Routine
201220220Routine
20105000Routine
20094000Routine
20086010Routine
2007 — this page22141Fatalities reported
200620120Routine

Compare every 650i year →

Reading this record

1 death reported in complaints filed with NHTSA.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Oct 12, 2007. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.