Bmw M550i problems

bmw logo

The seventh generation of the BMW 5 Series consists of the BMW G30 (sedan version) and BMW G31 (wagon version, marketed as 'Touring') executive cars. The G30/G31 has been produced since 2016 by the German automaker BMW and is often collectively referred to as the G30. It was officially announced on 12 October 2016 and sales began in February 2017.

The fastback 5 Series Gran Turismo model from the previous generation is no longer part of the 5 Series model range, and has been moved to the 6 Series Gran Turismo nameplate. A long-wheelbase sedan version (model code G38) is sold in China.

On 27 May 2020, a facelifted 5 Series was unveiled. Although the 2021 BMW 5 Series is 1.2 inches longer than the 2020 model, many of the vehicle's other dimensions remain unchanged despite the styling redesign.

In 2023, the G30 5 Series was phased out in favor of the G60 5 Series. In 2024, the G31 was also phased out in favor of the new Touring model named G61.

photo of Bmw M550i car production

Social links

Bmw M550i model years

bmw m550i 2020 photo
M550i 2020
Bmw

1

3

0

  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
bmw m550i 2018 photo
M550i 2018
Bmw

19

1

0

  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1

Common Bmw M550i problems

Based on the search results, the following are some common problems or issues with the BMW M550i cars, as reported by owners:

  • Active Grill Shutter Getting Stuck: Another issue that has been reported with the BMW M550i is the active grill shutter getting stuck. This seems to be a wider issue with the design and may not be covered under warranty after it ends.
  • Miscommunication between Engine Computer and Stability Control Module: A communication error between the stability control module and the engine computer can result in a drop in turbocharger boost pressure, affecting acceleration. BMW has acknowledged this issue and promised an over-the-air software patch to fix it.
  • Oil Leaks: Oil leaks have been reported in the 2020 M550i, particularly at the front left corner of the upper oil pan. This issue was discovered during the installation of motor mounts in a 13k mile example.
  • Slower-than-Expected Acceleration: In some cases, the BMW M550i has been found to have slower-than-expected acceleration due to the miscommunication between the engine computer and the stability control module. BMW has acknowledged this issue and promised a software patch to fix it.

It is important to note that these issues may not affect all BMW M550i cars, and some of them may have been addressed with engine updates or software patches. If you own a BMW M550i, it is recommended to stay up-to-date with any recalls or updates from BMW to ensure the best performance and reliability of your vehicle.

Bmw M550i

Is the BMW 550i engine reliable?

The BMW 550i Reliability Rating is 1.5 out of 5.0, which ranks it 29th out of 30 for luxury fullsize cars.

Why the M550i is better than the M5?

Drivers can expect the M550i to deliver an estimated 0-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds. While the 2021 BMW M5 comes equipped with the same engine, BMW specially tunes it to develop 600 horsepower. This additional horsepower translates to an even quicker 0-60 mph time of 3.2 seconds.

How much HP can a BMW M550i handle?

According to BMW, the N63TU2 engine powering the M550 churns out 456 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque.

What is the M550i engine called?

N63 Model-Engine Table

BMW Model SeriesYearsEngine Short Code
550i (F10)2011-2013N63A
550i (F10)2014-2016N63TU
M550i (G30)2017-2019N63R, N63TU2
M550i (G30)2020-2023N63B, N63T3

Percentage distribution of complaints by Bmw M550i years

We have researched Bmw problems and analysed all the complaints filed against Bmw M550i cars and compiled the top 2 most problematic Bmw M550i model years:

Below you can see the percentage distribution of known problems by Bmw M550i model years.

Distribution of the number of complaints by Bmw M550i years

We've also compiled a chart for you with the number of complaints about Volkswagen Jetta cars of certain model years:

Bmw M550i car problems categorized by type of issue

After analysing all complaints related to Bmw M550i , it was concluded that the most common issues with these cars are:

  • Air bags problems
  • Seat belts problems
  • Electrical system problems
  • Seats problems
  • Structure problems

The graph below shows statistics for all Bmw M550i vehicle components and the number of complaints received.

Distribution of the number of complaints with fire by M550i model years

There were a total of 1 complaints that resulted in a fire. In the graph you can see the distribution of the number of complaints by model year.

The NHTSA has received 20 complaints about various vehicle components related to the Bmw M550i . Below are the 25 most recent complaints reported for Bmw M550i vehicles.

List of Bmw M550i complaints

Bmw M550i 2018
  • Date Of Incident: 2024-09-01
  • Date Complaint: 2024-10-25
  • VIN: WBAJB9C5XJB
  • Components: AIR BAGS
  • Summary: Passenger restrained seatbelt signal. There is bulletin in google: SIB 72 04 17. There are recalls for this vehicle but dealer want accept it.
Bmw M550i 2018
  • Date Of Incident: 2024-09-03
  • Date Complaint: 2024-10-21
  • VIN: WBAJB9C54JG
  • Components: TIRES
  • Summary: In the last 8 months, I have experienced 3 blowouts on the same side of the car. The tires were Continental Procontact SSR 245/40R19. In each instance, the sidewall failed and blew out. This has occurred on the highway as well as at low city speeds.
Bmw M550i 2018
  • Date Of Incident: 2022-08-16
  • Date Complaint: 2024-08-22
  • VIN: WBAJB9C52JG
  • Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE
  • Summary: Excessive amounts of water accumulated at interior floors from the A/C drain unit. Water damage to all sensors and bad odor. Worried car may catch fire while driving. A/C will sometimes work.
Bmw M550i 2018
  • Date Of Incident: 2024-06-18
  • Date Complaint: 2024-08-01
  • VIN: WBAJB9C56JB
  • Components: STRUCTURE
  • Summary: The rear driver door will not open. It seems the door handle does not open the door from the exterior of the vehicle. The door will also not open from the interior of the vehicle. It feels like the handle has come lose from the door latch mechanism to open the door of the vehicle. This is a big safety concern if there is a passenger sitting behind the driver and they cannot exit the vehicle.
Bmw M550i 2018
  • Date Of Incident: 2024-06-18
  • Date Complaint: 2024-08-01
  • VIN: WBAJB9C56JB
  • Components: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
  • Summary: The rear driver door does not open from the outside or inside of the vehicle. I had someone sitting behind the driver and they could not exit the vehicle, we had to assist so they can exit out the other side (passenger rear door). The handle on the outside of the car seems like if it is not connected to the door mechanism. This is a huge safety issue. I also took the car to the dealer to have the door covered under my extended warranty and they did not cover it under warranty.
Bmw M550i 2018
  • Date Of Incident: 2024-06-29
  • Date Complaint: 2024-06-29
  • VIN: WBAJB9C53JB
  • Components: AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,SEATS
  • Summary: Vehicle reported a Passenger Restraint Failure intermittently and upon getting diagnosed is related to a faulty seat occupancy sensor. If this sensor can fail ~4yrs of ownership with < 30k miles driven and it is critical to passenger restraint, it would seem that this should be fixed by BMW. With quick search, the problem doesn't seem isolated: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Bmw M550i 2018
  • Date Of Incident: 2024-05-29
  • Date Complaint: 2024-05-29
  • VIN: WBAJB9C58JB
  • Components: AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,SEATS
  • Summary: Passenger restraint system malfunction. I took it to the dealership and was told it will cost $3785.91 to replace the passenger seat mat. Looking online, this problem appears to be widespread with many individual car owners complaining of the issue. Given that this is a life safety system and its apparent prevalence, it seems appropriate to consider this for a mandatory recall.
Bmw M550i 2018
  • Date Of Incident: 2024-04-29
  • Date Complaint: 2024-04-30
  • VIN: WBAJB9C59JG
  • Components: AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,SEATS
  • Summary: The passenger seat occupancy mat is faulty - same as in many other BMW models for which BMW has issued a 15 year warranty. The car chimes and states "fasten safety belt" for the passenger seat when the passenger seat is entirely empty. This error comes and goes, and stops when the belt is buckled.
Bmw M550i 2018
  • Date Of Incident: 2023-10-12
  • Date Complaint: 2023-10-19
  • VIN: WBAJB9C55JB
  • Components: AIR BAGS
  • Summary: The passenger restraint malfunction continues to alarm and the dealership states that it is a seat-pad sensor and want over $2000.00 to replace. From a number of BMW forums, it appears that this was a common problem with earlier models and a subsequent 15-year warranty extension was granted because of the safety concerns. My car is well cared for and has very few miles on it, so I truly believe that BMW needs to either recall this faulty SAFETY component or replace it free of charge. Please protect me and my family by holding BMW accountable.
Bmw M550i 2018
  • Date Of Incident: 2023-09-05
  • Date Complaint: 2023-09-08
  • VIN: WBAJB9C5XJB
  • Components: AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS
  • Summary: Passenger Restraint Warning Light has been coming on off and on and now stays on all the time. Dealer has confirmed car needs to have the OC3 mat replaced at a very high price. Car is a 2018 BMW M550ix. Apparently this has been a common problem with the BMWs.
Bmw M550i 2018
  • Date Of Incident: 2023-08-20
  • Date Complaint: 2023-08-22
  • VIN: WBAJB9C57JG
  • Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS
  • Summary: Passenger side sensor is faulty. BMW has issued Technical Service Bulletin to repair when found in warranty. The sensor will errantly warn airbag disable when person is not in seat.
Bmw M550i 2018
  • Date Of Incident: 2023-01-26
  • Date Complaint: 2023-01-26
  • VIN: WBAJB9C58JB
  • Components: AIR BAGS
  • Summary: My old 5 series 2017 had this same problem, now my 2018 m550i has the airbag problem. A warning light for no reason pops up saying “passenger restraint system malfunction” and turns off the passengers airbag, BMW will not fix it out of warranty and charges 3,000$. Many people are driving around without airbags in a new car because of this.
Bmw M550i 2018
  • Date Of Incident: 2022-11-26
  • Date Complaint: 2022-11-27
  • VIN: Wbajb9c57jb
  • Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
  • Summary: On vacation road trip driving for about 3 hours. Instrument cluster completely shuts off and goes to black. Screen, vehit speed and rpm and all adas systems stop working. Sometimes turning the car off and on will address the issue other times it will constantly restart the instrument cluster when driving.
Bmw M550i 2018
  • Date Of Incident: 2022-03-28
  • Date Complaint: 2022-03-29
  • VIN: wbajb9c55jg
  • Components: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
  • Summary: Sunroof on 2018 BMW M550i "exploded" while driving home from work. Weather was cloudy, light rain in the 50's, late March in northern California, USA. Sunroof was in closed position and cars HVAC was not being used to create temperature or pressure difference. Heated seat was being used. Had been parked outdoors under an awning during the day and had been on the road for less than 15 minutes. The automobile will be taken to the nearest dealership in the morning. Pictures were taken. Significant safety risk to occupants if glass shatters when the "slider" is in the open position.
Bmw M550i 2020
  • Date Of Incident: 2020-02-01
  • Date Complaint: 2021-01-25
  • VIN: WBAJF7C02LC
  • Components: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
  • Summary: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 BMW M550I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SLOWING DOWN TO STOP, THE AUTO STOP FUEL SAVING SYSTEM SUDDENLY ACTIVATED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ABRUPTLY STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER WEST HERR BMW LOCATED AT 4250 W HENRIETTA RD, ROCHESTER, NY 14623 WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. NO FAILURE WAS FOUND WITH THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000. THE VIN WAS INVALID.

Recalls Bmw M550i

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued 4 recalls for different components of the Bmw M550i.You can explore the year of the Volkswagen Jetta you are interested in by selecting it from the list.

  • Model: Bmw M550i 2020
  • Report Received Date: 2021-02-19
  • Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
  • Components: BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
  • Summary: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, M550i, X4M, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5M, X5 M50i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, Alpina XB7, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, and 8 Series Coupe, Convertible and Grand Coupe, 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8, 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le, 745Le xDrive, X5 xDrive45e, X3 xDrive30e, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M50i, X6M, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 740i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, M760i Drive, M760Li xDrive, 750Li xDrive Alpina, Alpina B7 xDrive, and 2021 4 Series Coupe 430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive vehicles. When shifting into Reverse, a small portion of the rearview image may be obscured, or the screen may not illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
  • Consequence: If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the missing or reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
  • Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
  • Model: Bmw M550i 2020
  • Report Received Date: 2020-09-30
  • Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
  • Components: BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
  • Summary: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 X3 sDrive 30i, X3 xDrive 30i, X3M 40i, X3 xDrive 30e, X4 xDrive 30i, X4M 40i, 530i, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 550e, 550e xDrive, and 550e iPerformance vehicles. A small portion of the rearview image may be slightly obscured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
  • Consequence: If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
  • Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, program the rearview camera with updated software. The recall began November 18, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
  • Model: Bmw M550i 2018
  • Report Received Date: 2019-09-27
  • Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
  • Components: BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
  • Summary: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 530e, 530e xDrive, X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive, X3 M40i, X3 M, and 2019-2020 X4 xDrive, X4 M40i, X4 M, X7 xDrive, X7 M50i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 8 Series Convertible and Coupe 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, X5 sDrive, X5 xDrive, X5 M50i, X6 xDrive, X6 M50i, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, Z4 sDrive, Z4 M40i, 740Le xDrive and 745Le xDrive, 2018-2019 640i xDrive Gran Turismo and Rolls-Royce Phantom, 2019 M850i xDrive Gran Coupe and Rolls-Royce Cullinan and 2020 Toyota Supra vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
  • Consequence: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
  • Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
  • Model: Bmw M550i 2020
  • Report Received Date: 2019-09-27
  • Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
  • Components: BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
  • Summary: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 530e, 530e xDrive, X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive, X3 M40i, X3 M, and 2019-2020 X4 xDrive, X4 M40i, X4 M, X7 xDrive, X7 M50i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 8 Series Convertible and Coupe 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, X5 sDrive, X5 xDrive, X5 M50i, X6 xDrive, X6 M50i, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, Z4 sDrive, Z4 M40i, 740Le xDrive and 745Le xDrive, 2018-2019 640i xDrive Gran Turismo and Rolls-Royce Phantom, 2019 M850i xDrive Gran Coupe and Rolls-Royce Cullinan and 2020 Toyota Supra vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
  • Consequence: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
  • Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.

Are you having problems with your Bmw M550i?

Add car complaint
Bmw M550i photo