YearToAvoid

2011 BMW 550i Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

100/100

#1 most-complained of 7 550i years

The 2011 BMW 550i ranks worst of 7 model years for owner complaints, with a Complaint Index of 100 and 84 complaints, 11 involving fire, plus 3 recalls covering engine, airbags, and fuel system. NHTSA data mark it 'Avoid' relative to other 550i years.

Complaints
84
Recalls
3
Crashes / fires
1 / 11
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
18
15 city / 22 hwy

Top 2011 BMW 550i problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Engine36 (43%)
  2. Electrical System21 (25%)
  3. Fuel System16 (19%)
  4. Suspension, Wheels & Tires16 (19%)
  5. Transmission & Powertrain14 (17%)
  6. Brakes8 (10%)
  7. Other8 (10%)
  8. Airbags5 (6%)
  9. Seat Belts4 (5%)
  10. Structure & Body3 (4%)

What owners report

  • Owners report engines catching fire in the engine compartment minutes after the car was parked and turned off, sometimes spreading to attached garages.
  • Some describe smoke or fire coming from the trunk area near the battery while the car was parked with the ignition off.
  • Owners report stalling at highway speeds with the vehicle unable to shift back into park, later traced to a wiring connection issue at the fuse box and battery.
  • A fuel odor combined with smoke from the front of the vehicle was traced to a failed fuel pump that recurred after repair.
  • One owner reports a rear-end crash where the airbags failed to deploy despite a restraint system failure message.
  • An owner tied recurring water pump failures, misfires, and battery issues directly to the open recall campaign 18V248000.
2011 BMW 550i complaints: complaints filed per quarter102012 Q22013 Q42015 Q22017 Q12018 Q42020 Q22023 Q22026 Q1
136 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2012 Q2 to 2026 Q1; peak 2019 Q3 (10).

2011 BMW 550i recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 18V248000Apr 18, 2018Engine47,806 vehicles

    Engine and engine cooling:engine

    BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 BMW 550i, 550i xDrive, 550i Gran Turismo, 550i Gran Turismo xDrive, 750i, 750Li, 750i xDrive, 750Li xDrive, 760Li, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M, ActiveHybrid7, MINI Cooper S Convertible, John Cooper Works (JCW) Convertible, Cooper S Countryman, Cooper S Countryman ALL4, Cooper S, JCW, Cooper S Clubman, JCW Clubman, Cooper S Roadster, JCW Roadster, Cooper S Coupe, JCW Coupe and Rolls-Royce Ghost, 2011 BMW X6 Hybrid and 2012 BMW 650i Coupe, 650i xDrive Coupe, 650i Convertible and 650i xDrive Convertible vehicles. The electric auxiliary water pump may fail and cause the circuit board to overheat.

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

    Remedy: 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.

  2. NHTSA 16V832000Nov 17, 2016Airbags91 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive

    BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2011 BMW 528i, 528xi, 535i, 535xi, 550i and 550xi vehicles manufactured March 1, 2010, through August 31, 2011. The affected vehicles may have received a replacement Sensor Cluster Unit (SCU) during a service visit. These SCUs have an acceleration sensor that may have been incorrectly programmed and, as a result, the SCU may not accurately determine if activation and deployment of the air bags, safety belt pre-tensioners and head restraints is necessary in the event of a crash.

    Risk: Depending on the severity of the crash, inadequate activation of the driver and/or passenger air bags, safety belt pre-tensioners and active head restraints may increase the risk of injury.

    Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the SCU, free of charge. The recall began on December 16, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

  3. NHTSA 16V746000Oct 17, 2016Fuel System136,188 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump

    BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 BMW X5 3.0si, X5 4.8i, X5 M, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive48i and X5 xDrive50i, 2008-2011 X6 x Drive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6 M, 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid, 535i xDrive Gran Turismo, 535i Gran Turismo, 550i xDrive Gran Turismo and 550i Gran Turismo, 2011-2012 528i, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i and 550i xDrive and 2012 535i ActiveHybrid, 640i Convertible, 650i Convertible, 650i xDrive Convertible, 650i Coupe and 650i Coupe xDrive vehicles. The affected vehicles have in-tank fuel pumps that may have insufficiently crimped wire contacts.

    Risk: 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.

    Remedy: 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.

2011 BMW 550i fuel economy and fuel cost

City
15 MPG
Highway
22 MPG
Combined
18 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$4,450
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Premium
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2011 compared with other 550i years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)02550751002010201120122013201420152016
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Caution5011118
2011Avoid10084318
2012Avoid8335217
2013Caution6715119

All BMW 550i years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2011 BMW 550i reliable?
NHTSA data ranks it worst among 7 model years of the 550i, with 84 complaints and a Complaint Index of 100. The top problem area is the Engine, at 43% of complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the 2011 BMW 550i?
Engine problems make up 43% of complaints (36 of 84), including 6 reported fires, with a median failure mileage of 71,500 miles.
Does the 2011 BMW 550i have a fire risk?
NHTSA lists 11 fire-related complaints for the 2011 550i, including several tied to the engine and electrical system, and an open recall (18V248000) covering the engine's water pump.
Are there recalls on the 2011 BMW 550i?
Yes, NHTSA lists 3 recalls for this year: an engine water pump recall (18V248000), an airbag SCU recall (16V832000), and a fuel pump module recall (16V746000).
How does the 2011 550i compare to other 550i years?
It has the highest Complaint Index (100) and worst rank of the 7 years with data; by contrast, 2014 has an index of 17 and a 'Best' verdict.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.