2013 BMW 650i recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

Fuel economy

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Engine

  Presently this vehicle has 57,000 miles on it. It began having issues with a drivetrain malfunction warning back in 2021. Reported on complaint # 11427753. To date I have had to have fuel injectors replaced, a catalytic converter, the transfer case, two high pressure fuel pumps and an O2 sensor to resolve issues. Approximately $15,000.00 in repairs over the last 20k miles. This particular engine is known to have issues with excessive oil consumption. I had the same issues with a 2012 BMW 550GT which at 102,000 miles I was forced to get rid of the vehicle as BMW told me the only way to fix the car was to replace the engine at a cost of $23,000.

  May 15, 2025
• Engine

  BMW issues a customer care package regarding issues with the fuel injectors. I originally had to have #8 injector replaced. Shortly after leaving dealership the check engine light came on. To find out now that the catalytic converter on that side of the engine needed replaced ($3400) which they would not provide any assistance on, even though it was most likely caused by the excess fuel being passed through. The car had 38,558 miles on it at the time but was two months passed the 8 year warranty!!!! At 51,875 miles, problem had existed for several thousand miles. The dealership replaced the oxygen censor and a partial flush of the transfer case fluid. Did not resolve the problem, had to…

  Jul 5, 2024
• Engine

  Due to ongoing issues with the BMW N--63 engine which is known for excessive oil use! They claim that one quart per 750-1000 miles is normal ???Car now stutters on acceleration, BMW serviced the vehicle, changing transfer case fluid ( All fluid was not able to be exchanged without removing the transfer case and that was not done )and recalibrated transfer box. Replaced O2 Sensor as well. Repairs did not solve the issue, slight improvement but stuttering continues. Now they say that to resolve this the transfer case would need replaced !! This car has 52,000 miles on it! Due to the failing fuel injectors the catalytic converter needed replaced at 44,000 miles at a cost of $3,000.00. BMW will…

  Oct 9, 2023
• Fuel/propulsion system

  BMW voluntarily came out with an extended warranty for faulty fuel injectors (not a recall). Warning of drive train malfunction came on, vehicle would barely run. Dealer determined that #8 fuel injector was the problem and was replaced. The fuel injection shuts down during DT malfunction so all fuel is not being burned. A short time after leaving dealership the check engine light came on (less than . Now I have a bad catalytic converter, BMW states that is not covered as a related repair because it was not done at the time of the fuel injector repair?? The catalytic converter is covered for 8 years or 80,000 miles. My car had 38,000 miles but was 8yrs 4 months old?? BMW refuses to assist…

  Jun 14, 2021
• Engine

  I'VE HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR, WHICH HAVE BEEN QUITE DISAPPOINTING. DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION LIGHT POPPED UP JUST AROUND 52K MILES, IT HAD A ROUGH IDLE, MULTIPLE CYLINDER MISFIRES AND WOULD GO LIMP OFTEN. WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN, WHERE THEY TOLD ME AFTER DIAGNOSTICS THEY WERE NOT SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE COILS/SPARK PLUGS. CHANGED OUT BOTH OF THOSE AND IT RAN GOOD FOR A COUPLE MONTHS. 58K MILES, 65KMILES , 70K MILES AND NOW 85-90K MILES ALL HAVE HAD THIS DRIVETRAIN PROBLEM. THE CAR IS NOW AT 92K MILES AND IS ROUGH IDLING AND MISFIRING OFTEN AGAIN. OTHER THINGS TO NOTE, THE FUEL PUMP WAS BAD (COVERED BY EXTENDED WARRANTY), AUXILIARY…

  Aug 29, 2020 · 92,000 miles
• Engine

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 650I. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED IN TRAFFIC, THE DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SEIZED IN MOVING TRAFFIC. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO THE FORWARD OR REVERSE GEARS. THE VEHICLE LOST MOTIVE POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO PASSPORT BMW (LOCATED AT 4730 AUTH PL, SUITLAND-SILVER HILL, MD 20746, (301) 423-2700) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,300. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

  Apr 14, 2019 · 44,300 miles
• Electrical systemFire

  I WAS DRIVING AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHAKING AND VIBRATING AND SMOKING LIKE HELL. VEHICLE INFORMATION DISPLAYED STATED DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTIONS DRIVE MODERATELY. I CALL UP THE DEALER AND THEY ADVISED ME TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHICH WAS LIKE 2 MILES AWAY. WHEN I REACH TO THE DEALER LOCATION I SEE SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER TAKE THE VEHICLE AND THEY SAID THEY ARE GOING TO RUN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON THE VEHICLE TO SEE WHAT'S THE PROBLEM. 2 DAYS LATER THE DEALER CALLED ME TO COME DOWN AND LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. WHEN I WENT TO SEE THE VEHICLE, THEY HAD IT ON A LIFT. FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVERS SIDE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND OTHER PARTS BURNED UP AND…

  Nov 19, 2018 · 52 miles
• Engine

  PRIOR TO 4/3/2018 ON APPROXIMATELY 4 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE STARTED AND IDLED ROUGH. ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND RE-STARTED AND RAN SMOOTH. ON 4/3/2018 THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING AND IN TRAFFIC AND WOULD NOT RESTART. ALL ENGINE POWER WAS LOST (NO POWER STEERING, NO FORWARD MOTION) BUT ALL ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS WERE OK. TOWED CAR TO BMW DEALER WHERE THEY FOUND (2) HIGH PRESSURE AND (1) LOW PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILURES WHICH WERE REPLACED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. NO OTHER ISSUES WERE DISCOVERED THROUGH THE INSPECTION AND REPAIRS. ON 5/22/2018 (PM) UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE IT RAN ROUGH. WE TRIED TO STOP AND RESTART BUT IT DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. ON 5/23/18 (AM) THE VEHICLE…

  May 22, 2018 · 72,000 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

• Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureOpen

  From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled…

  EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021