2008 Bmw 550i problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Exterior Lighting (6) · Seat Belts (4) · Engine (4)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Bmw 550i model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
24 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (1)
Exterior Lighting:tail Lights 2013-09-11 · campaign 13V407000 · 134,100 vehicles
Defect: BMW is recalling certain model year 2008 through 2010 528i, 535i, 550i, and M5 passenger cars manufactured from March 1, 2007, through December 31, 2009. Over time, increased resistance at the taillight electrical contact points may cause damage to the ground terminal and housing of the connector resulting in an intermittent or permanent loss of functionality of one or more rear lamp functions (tail, brake, turn-signal, reverse).
Risk: Intermittent light operation reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear lamp bulb carriers free of charge. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
Service bulletins (55)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls 2024-01-16 · B510819 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
Electrical System 2024-01-11 · B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the electrical system of bmw vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. this has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. this document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle ã¢ââdischarged batteryã¢ââ complaints.
Fuel System, Gasoline 2023-12-20 · B160623 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
engine will crank but not start. there is no communication with the integrated fuel module (tfe) whendiagnosing with ista. the following two fault codes will be stored in the dme: 032b43 - low fuel pressure system, electric fuel pump: pressure value too low cda594 - message (- 0x33e) missing, rec
Equipment 2023-11-22 · B653423 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
customers may state that the alarm system (dwa) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle. depending on the vehicleã¢ââs equipment and settings, no acoustic or optical confirmation (folding the mirrors/blinking confirmation) is noticeable. additionally, the red anti-theft alarm led in
Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar 2021-04-01 · B340414 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
diagnosis of compound brake system complaints in m vehicles: 1. visible cracks are caused by high thermal stresses during rapid heating and cooling of the brake discs. braking from high speed with cold brake components (less than 212 degrees f) increases the likelihood of cracks to form.
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility 2020-10-01 · B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
discharged battery energy diagnosis must be performed: the electrical system of bmw vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. this has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. this document covers important information for the dealer on how to
Showing the 6 most recent of 55 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2025-09-13 · Engine“vehicle abruptly shut off while reversing out of my driveway. vehicle restarted after a long crank and appeared to enter a reduced power mode/limp mode with a transmission fault that locked the transmission in 4th gear. reading obd2 codes revealed a code for the crankshaft position sensor. inspection of the 3 terminal sensor revealed 2 of the te…”
2023-11-09 · Engine · 65,000 mi“the contact owns a 2008 bmw.the contact stated that he was getting ready to drive the vehicle, however when he started the vehicle, the abs and check engine lights illuminated.the contact stated that he noticed the vehicle was overheating and turned the vehicle off.the contact heard an unusual sound which came from under the hood.the contact inspec…”
2023-10-22 · Exterior Lighting“the daytime running lights aka angel eyes wiring is sub-standard. the plastic coating on the wires for the daytime running lights/angel eyes has melted away exposing bare wiring that has fused causing the lights to malfunction and not work. i believe the manufacturer is aware of this sub-standard issue and needs to provide a suitable fix or replace…”
2023-08-07 · Electrical System“i was driving and came to a stop and noticed smoke and an odd smell coming from under the hood. the heater control valve and the wire connector started to smolder and melt the plastic. if it wasn’t for me disconnecting the connector wire to the heater control valve, it would have definitely would have caught on fire.there was no warning other than …”
2022-06-02 · Exterior Lighting“the wiring in my headlight assembly is crumbling and the headlight is shorting out. the coating on the wiring is trash. i own a 08 bmw550i. bmw should be ashamed. thanks [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).…”
2022-03-16 · Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal · 141,000 mi“the contact owns a 2008 bmw 550i. the contact stated while driving 65 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed however, the vehicle failed to respond. there was no warning light illuminated. the contact pulled over to the side of the roadway and turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the battery warning light illuminated and remained illumin…”
2021-01-13 · Engine · 110,000 mi · 🔥 fire“vehicle parked for days, noticed smoke from passenger side engine bay, inspection found possible faulty electrical wiring or oil leak onto electrical wiring causing small fire on engine floor. disconnected negative terminal to battery.…”
2020-07-19 · Power Train · 6 mi“i was driving on the freeway and the power train light came on and the car began to loose a lot of power then when i pulled to side of the road the car turned of and would not start until several attempts . i waited about 8 min then started to drive . and it does this all the time now . then the light goes out and drives fine . but this always happ…”
2020-07-02 · Seat Belts · 125,000 mi“car smokes bad valve seals and seatbelt restrain went bad twice and car seat adjustment goes bad…”
2018-02-12 · Unknown Or Other · 85,000 mi · 🔥 fire“i have been in contact with bmw of north america for 8 weeks. my 2008 bmw 550i caught fire while stationary at a gas station at the gas pump. the fire department was called out to contain the fire. the fire inspector and the fire chief both stated that it was a wiring issue. i have the fire report. i was finally able to get bmw of north america to …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.