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2011 BMW 550I Recalls, Complaints & Specs

3 safety recalls list the 2011 BMW 550I, and owners have filed 84 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

3
safety recalls
84
owner complaints to NHTSA
1 / 11
complaints citing a crash / fire

3 safety recalls for the 2011 BMW 550I

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Engine (engine and engine cooling) and turbo/supercharger (engine and engine cooling)

    NHTSA 18V248000 Reported 47,806 vehicles potentially affected BMW of North America, LLC

    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…

    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.…

  2. Air bags: sensor/control module-inactive

    NHTSA 16V832000 Reported 91 vehicles potentially affected BMW of North America, LLC

    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…

    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. Fuel pump (fuel system)

    NHTSA 16V746000 Reported 136,188 vehicles potentially affected BMW of North America, LLC

    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,…

    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.

84 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2011 BMW 550I have filed 84 complaints with NHTSA; 1 describe a crash and 11 describe a fire. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 57,806 miles. Complaints peaked in 2013 with 10 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“1. TICKING NOISE WHILE CORNERING WITHOUT THE BRAKES APPLIED: Ticking noise coming from front wheel while cornering without brakes applied, noticeable at low speeds. The vehicle must be moving. 2. CRAC”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, January 31, 2026 · Service brakes

“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 appre”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, October 25, 2025 · Engine

Compare BMW 550I model years

Recall and complaint counts for every BMW 550I model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
2006 BMW 550I323
2007 BMW 550I237
2008 BMW 550I232
2009 BMW 550I12
2010 BMW 550I111
2011 BMW 550I384
2012 BMW 550I235
2013 BMW 550I115
2014 BMW 550I26
2015 BMW 550I06
2016 BMW 550I21

Checking a specific 2011 BMW 550I

How do I know if my 2011 BMW 550I has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 3 campaigns currently list the 2011 BMW 550I; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised BMW dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 16V746000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other BMW models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.