Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 BMW 550i owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My 2011 BMW 550i experienced an unexpected fire in my driveway while my wife and I were sleeping. The fire nearly caused our house to catch fire and also resulted in damage to my BMW Z4. I would appreciate the opportunity to speak with someone regarding this matter. For your reference, the last seven digits of my VIN are [redacted] . You can reach me at [redacted] or via email at [redacted] .
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 550I. The contact stated that oil was leaking from the vehicle. The engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who declined to service the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle. No additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 550I. The contact stated that after having an oil change performed, he noticed white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a stem valve cover failure. The contact was informed that the valve cover needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,500.
The 2011 BMW 550i had just recently been parked and turned off. After no more than 10 minutes after it was parked, it burst into flames coming from the engine compartment on the passenger side. Then very quickly spread throughout the entire car. The car was parked in an attached garage thus not only completely burning the car to the ground but also partially burning the home down as well. Resulting in over $250,000 in damage. This vehicle had one of the n63 engines in it which BMW had three volunteer recalls to "correct" the fuel injector issue. 5 months prior to the fire, a certified BMW dealership executed the third attempt at this recall. This BMW was also under a full coverage maintenance warranty, thus it had only been to certified BMW service centers. …
I own my BMW 550i gran turismo sedan 2011 f10(n63). There is a recall on my exact model. NHTSA number: 18V248000/ engine and engine cooling. I am having the same exact issues that the recall shows. I have proof of documents showing my water pump failing, getting service water pump and alternator repair. August 24, 2019 shows small evaporations leak, cylinder misfires and has bad head gasket. Water pump failure caused my engine to over heat and bad head gaskets.I also had similar problem as other customers with the turbo coolant hoses, my hoses cracked like glass, ejecting coolant all over the engine and alternator, which caused smoke really bad almost leading to an car crash because I couldn't see on the highway, when I pulled over on the side of the road the alternator was burning up. …
On July 19, 2019, I drove my car 2.5 miles from my office and parked the car at my residence. The car was parked overnight and next day the car failed to start. When the hood was open the engine was on fire overnight while the car was parked, lucky the fire was self contained and did not spread to nearby homes. I contacted mr. Mike discepolo with BMW north America and after 30 days of investigation he told me that the fire was because I failed to maintain my car, I searched the net and his answer was consistent with answers to other BMW cars that start fire while parked. Abc nightline and other tv stations investigated parked BMW cars fire and BMW deny the problem. …
This vehicle has had multiple recalls. The latest one was campaign no. 18v-248. BMW has yet to do anything for my vehicle, even after it burnt itself to the ground and a portion of my home. They did not add any explanation or attempt to investigate this situation. It is still undefined how this vehicle lit itself on fire as it was parked and turned off sitting in my garage, after just being driven 5-10 minutes before the fire started.
Vehicle stationary for over 3 hours, parked in a parking lot (work location) and burst into flames under the engine compartment. 8-22-18; 12:30 pm. Beaverton, oregon fire department responded and put fire out. See fire department report
I own my BMW 550i gran turismo sedan 2011 f10(n63). There is a recall on my exact model. NHTSA number: 18V248000/ engine and engine cooling. I am having the same exact issues that the recall shows. I have proof of documents showing my water pump failing, getting service water pump and alternator repair. August 24, 2019 shows small evaporations leak, cylinder misfires and has bad head gasket. Water pump failure caused my engine to over heat and bad head gaskets.I also had similar problem as other customers with the turbo coolant hoses, my hoses cracked like glass, ejecting coolant all over the engine and alternator, which caused smoke really bad almost leading to an car crash because I couldn't see on the highway, when I pulled over on the side of the road the alternator was burning up. …
This car has been in the shop many times since I purchased it in 2014. First, it was unknown issues that resulted in the injectors, spark plugs, and battery being replaced. That did not fix the problem and it went back to them several more times before they eventually brought an engineer in that determined that it was a stretched timing chain. This resulted in a new timing chain and all parts associated at 60,000 miles. Since then we have had recall work a couple of times. We have had to have turbo coolant lines replaced and we had to have a new water pump put in at 80,000 miles because ours apparently fell apart. The car needs a quart of oil every 500-700 miles (this has been an issue since the beginning but it has progressively gotten worse) and the newest problem is that it threw a drivetrain malfunction error driving up a hill. …
Related recalls
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…
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.
Engine complaints in other 550i years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2011 BMW 550i?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2011 BMW 550i, 40% of the model year's 84 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline › turbo/supercharger (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 BMW 550i engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 18V-248 (engine, Apr 18, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2011 BMW 550i engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 73,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 6 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.