2012 BMW 650i reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2012 BMW 650i has 20 complaints with NHTSA after 15 years, or 0 per year. That is more complaints per year than most 650i years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Turbocharger and Fuel pump.

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (12 of 20), then Seats (3) and Air bags (2). Those filings include 2 that report a fire and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2013

The 2013 650i has 16 complaints, 1 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 BMW 650i. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (2)

Recall engine and cooling, engine, gasoline, turbocharger 2018-04-18 · NHTSA campaign 18V248000

Summary 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 ALL4, Cooper S, JCW, Cooper S Clubman, JCW Clubman, Cooper S Roadster, JCW Roadster, Cooper S Coupe, JCW Coupe and Rolls-Royce Ghost, 2011 BMW X6 Hybrid and 2012 BMW 650i Coupe, 650i xDrive Coupe, 650i Convertible and 650i xDrive Convertible vehicles. The electric auxiliary water pump may fail and cause the circuit board to overheat.

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. Owners will be notified of the recall beginning June 11, 2018, and will receive a second notification when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at BMW 1-800-525-7417, MINI at 1-866-825-1525, or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Note: BMW recommends that owners park their vehicle outdoors until the recall remedy has been performed.

Recall Fuel pump 2016-10-17 · NHTSA campaign 16V746000

Summary 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, 2011-2012 528i, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i and 550i xDrive and 2012 535i ActiveHybrid, 640i Convertible, 650i Convertible, 650i xDrive Convertible, 650i Coupe and 650i Coupe xDrive vehicles. The affected vehicles have in-tank fuel pumps that may have insufficiently crimped wire contacts.

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.

Complaints by component (20 total)

Engine

Seats

Air bags

Seat belts

Electrical system

Fuel and propulsion system

Fuel system, gasoline

Hydraulic brakes

Service brakes

Structure

Wheels

Show 3 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"While at complete stop engine shut off with no warning lights on dash board. BMW dealer related they do not know what is wrong with engine."
Engine · filed 2023-01-04
"The contact owns a 2012 BMW 650 XI. The contact stated that both the front driver and front passenger seat belts would fail to retract upon disengagement. The contact stated that the seat belts would need to be pushed…"
Seat belts · filed 2022-10-13
"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 650I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, AN ABNORMAL ODOR APPEARED INSIDE THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED BLACK EXHAUST COMING FROM THE TAILPIPE. THE…"
Engine · filed 2020-10-20
"AT APPROXIMATELY 120,000 MILES MY ENGINE OIL PUMP WENT OUT CAUSING MY CAR TO STALL WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT 70 MILES PER HOUR. THE BMW DEALERSHIP SAID TO ME THAT EVEN THOUGH MY CAR MEETS THE MILES…"
Engine · filed 2020-05-17
"WHILE DRIVING MY CAR ON HIGHWAY 20 WEST MY ENGINE LOSS ALL POWER MAKING MY CAR SLOW COMPLETELY DOWN. I WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND I HAD TO MOVE OVER TWO LANES TO GET TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY. ONCE MY CAR STOPPED THE…"
Engine · filed 2020-02-21

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2012 BMW 650 I 2 DR RWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2012 BMW 650 I C RWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
650i convertible	4.4L, 8-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Rear-wheel drive	15	22	17 MPG	$4700
650i convertible	4.4L, 8-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	15	23	18 MPG	$4450
650i convertible xDrive	4.4L, 8-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	15	19	17 MPG	$4700
650i Coupe	4.4L, 8-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	15	23	18 MPG	$4450
650i Coupe	4.4L, 8-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Rear-wheel drive	15	22	17 MPG	$4700
650i Coupe xDrive	4.4L, 8-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	15	20	17 MPG	$4700

Specs and fitment

F06/F12/F13 6 Series, 2012–2019

Body styles Coupe, Convertible, Gran Coupe

Oil 0W-30 , 10 qt capacity

Tire size 245/40R19, 245/35R20, 275/35R19, 275/30R20

Known issues for this generation

Recall 24V-527 covers certain 2015 BMW 6 Series Coupe, Convertible, and Gran Coupe vehicles (among other BMW models listed in the campaign): the driver's front air bag will be replaced free of charge. Owner notification letters for this campaign were mailed in September 2024. Confirm applicability by VIN; the campaign unit total spans multiple BMW lines.

Compare

Next year 2013 BMW 650i See every BMW 650i model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 BMW 650i reliable?

What are common problems with a 2012 BMW 650i?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (12 of 20), then Seats (3) and Air bags (2). Those filings include 2 that report a fire and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2012 BMW 650i more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 650i has 16 complaints, 1 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 BMW 650i been recalled?

The 2012 BMW 650i has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 BMW 650i?

Owners have filed 20 complaints about the 2012 BMW 650i with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 BMW 650i get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 BMW 650i is 17.3 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a US BMW 650i use?

0W-30 With filter, about 10 qt is commonly listed for this generation—confirm in the owner manual.

What tire sizes fit a US BMW 650i?

Published US specs commonly list front 245/40R19, 245/35R20, 275/35R19, 275/30R20 and rear 245/40R19, 245/35R20, 275/35R19, 275/30R20; confirm on the door jamb placard for your trim.

What NHTSA recalls affect the US BMW 650i?