Most common 2007 BMW 550i problems
Share of the 37 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
BMW 550i complaints by model year
Best 550i years: 2016, 2014, 2015. Years to avoid: 2011, 2012, 2007, 2008. Compare all years →
2007 BMW 550i recalls (2)
Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification
BMW of North America LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2006 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi sedans and 325xi sports wagons, model year 2007 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi sedans and 328i and 328xi sports wagons, model year 2006-2007 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, 550i sedans and 530xi sports wagons, model year 2006 760i sedans, model…
Remedy: BMW will notify owners with an interim notification letter in January 2014 since parts are not currently available. When parts are available, BMW sent a second letter in August and dealers will repair the occupant…
Engine and engine cooling
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.
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 2007 BMW 550i owners say
Air bags
Tl*- the contact stated that while driving on10/26/06 in heavy traffic driving the vehicle in front sudden stop and he hit the back of the vehicle and the airbags deployed. The contact stated that the police came out to the scene, but no report was taken. The police stated that there was no damage to contact's vehicle or to the vehicle that he hit. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to armonk garage and then to the dealership, where the vehicle was purchased. The service mechanic stated the only visible damage was that the license plate had a scratch. The service department found that the airbags went off improperl,y and informed the contact that they would give him another vehicle without charge. The contact stated that 2 months later the manufacturer contacted the dealership and informed him that their investigation showed the airbags did deploy properly. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 BMW 550i. The contact stated that the driver and passenger's side headlight wires were melted. There was also an intermittent tail light malfunction warning message. The contact inspected the tail lights and noticed they were illuminating properly. Additionally, the passenger's side restraint warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
Wheels & tires
I own a 2007 BMW 550i sport. I ran over a raised road marker while in atlanta and ruptured the side walls of both left side tires, while also bending the factory 18" rims. In my judgment the contact was not significant enough to cause the damage that occurred. Once I had the tires removed I noticed that the inside portion of each rear tire was worn down to the metal mesh embedded in the tire. The outer portion of the tires showed at least another 10K miles on them. This was/is very disconcerting and alarming to me. I see it as a design flaw, and a significant safety concern. One should not have to have their car lifted into the air every 3-6K miles to inspect for this issue. This is a $60K + automobile. While extremely satisfied with some aspects of the vehicle, and satisfied with others, this is a deal breaker for me. …
I have a 550i with the sport package. Both rear tires wore out the inner 1/4" of tire completely while the outer, and the visible portion of the tread had plenty of depth left (approx 4/32" or more). The right tire was slightly worse and blew out on the highway causing a dangerous situation. The left wear was very close. Alignment is within the BMW specs. However, the rear negative camber specification is just too high, and the rear suspension does not have enough adjustment to remove some of the negative camber. BMW should specify a tighter tolerance for the rear camber on these cars (in particular, those with the sport suspension), and specify less negative camber in the rear. Additionally, there needs to be a way to remove more camber out of the rear tires than the stock suspension adjustments allow.
Engine & cooling
The vehicle is Burning a lot of oil due to the valve stem seals. Because of how the engine was designed. Since 2011 to 2018 was a law suit of the same engine since 2000 of the N62 V8 Engine of BMW. Smoke of oil comes out the exhaust and BMW cannot fix the issue they designed.
Excessive exhaust smoke when vehicle is idling... White smoke. The oil seems to collect somewhere in the engine while idling and continues to smoke for a while, after idling and in motion. The smoking seems to be worse when idling on an incline or decline. This has been going on a while. I thought there was a recall due to this problem being prevalent with this 8 cyl engine. I am just now reporting this issue but it's been ongoing for a couple years now.
2007 BMW 550i engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 15 / 22 / 18 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 23 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2007 BMW 550i a good car?
Based on 37 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2007 550i rates avoid: 2.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the 550i at the same age. It is one of the 550i years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2007 BMW 550i?
The air bags — 8 complaints, 22% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the wheels & tires (7) and engine & cooling (6).
How many recalls does the 2007 BMW 550i have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2007 BMW 550i, the most recent from November 12, 2013 (occupant classification). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the BMW 550i?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2016, 2014 and 2015. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2011, 2012, 2007 and 2008. See the full BMW 550i years comparison.
At what mileage do 2007 BMW 550i problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 72,000 miles; 41% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.