2006 BMW 650I problems & reliability
20 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 BMW 650I, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2006 BMW 650I vehicles were involved in 5 fatal crashes with 3 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seats | 4 | 20% |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 20% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 15% |
| Tires | 3 | 15% |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 10% |
| Steering | 2 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 12 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Leak from fuel pump located under passenger rear side (right rear). Gasoline pooling next to electrical connection and excess gasoline dripping into interior and exterior. Explosion risk. Gasoline fumes.”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Dec 13, 2021
“Constant malfunctions of convertible top. Top won’t stay in locked position. Once top malfunctions windows won’t operate. This has been an ongoing problem. Has been in shop for repair of this item multiple times. Research shows many owners having same issues. Warning sign from BMW says drive slow and report to nearest…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jul 25, 2021
“The active steering system operates on and off. Steering is normal then the active steering system shuts off. Steering becomes very heavy. The warnings light now stays on all the time this is under all driving conditions and roads.”
Steering · filed Oct 8, 2017
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATION
Engineering Analysis EA08001 · opened Jan 4, 2008 · closed Dec 31, 2008 · led to recall 08V384000
Technical service bulletins
44 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2006 BMW 650I. The 10 most recent:
The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
B510819 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2024
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…
B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 11, 2024
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…
B340414 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2021
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…
B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2020
Class action lawsuit settlement: 6 series (e64) convertible top function and operational issues. Information bulletin provides the dcsnet claim submission information.
B012417 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2018
NAVIGATION SYSTEM: REPORTING MISSING OR INCORRECT ROAD MAP DATA: The route guidance is inaccurate and therefore irritating to the customer; or it is not possible to locate certain addresses, for instance:
B650709 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2018
NAVIGATION SYSTEM: REPORTING MISSING OR INCORRECT ROAD MAP DATA: The route guidance is inaccurate and therefore irritating to the customer; or it is not possible to locate certain addresses, for instance:
B650709 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2018
SERVICE ACTION REPLACE SUN VISORS. During production; incorrect sun visors were installed which do not conform to airbag label requirements.
B510419 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2018
Diagnosing Stored Fault Codes to Help Avoid Repeat Repair Visits This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B07 03 14 dated October 2015.. Fault codes stored in vehicles being serviced are not being diagnosed…
B070314 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2016
Bluetooth Connection Failures. There are various connectivity failures with the following devices: Apple iPhones Samsung S6 and the S6 Edge. Connectivity failure examples are: Call disconnection - Call is transferred…
B840314 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2016
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2006 BMW 650I has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2006 BMW 650I?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.