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2016 BMW 550iProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1 owner complaint about the 2016 BMW 550i, most often about the engine. It is covered by 2 safety recalls, and for recall 15V-718 the manufacturer reports only 83% of affected cars repaired.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls2Lowest repair rate 83%Owner complaints10 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage36kEngine, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 12, 2020. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2016 BMW 550i has problems

1 complaint grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine10
Power train10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

2016 BMW 550i recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

87%repaired · 2018 Q2

Air bags

Recall 16V-914 · Dec 20, 2016 · 3,506 vehicles · 3,067 repaired

Risk. If the air bag inflator initiator fails to ignite, the seat-mounted air bag will not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

83%repaired · 2017 Q1

Child seat

Recall 15V-718 · Oct 30, 2015 · 7,162 vehicles · 5,918 repaired

Risk. If the child seat is not properly attached to the lower anchors, it can increase the child's risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with BMW.

Best & worst years

2016 vs. every other 550i year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the 550i median. How we score

'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2016 BMW 550i, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
In owners' words

What 550i owners report

Recent engine complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

MY 2016 BMW 550I XDRIVE M SPORT IS USING/BURNING ONE QUART OF OIL EVERY 750-800 MILES, THE ODOMETER READS 36,343 MILES, VERY LOW MILES FOR THIS CAR TO BE USING THAT MUCH OIL, I BOUGHT IT IN AUGUST OF 2019 WITH 34,654 MILES ON IT. YOU CAN SEE THAT I DON'T DRIVE IT THAT MUCH, HAVE NEVER HAD THE CAR…
Complaint 11308861 · Feb 12, 2020 · 36,343 miles

Own a 2016 550i?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.