Reliable Auto DB

2020 BMW M550i reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2020 BMW M550i has 2 complaints with NHTSA after 7 years, or 0 per year. That is more complaints per year than most M550i years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Camera.

2018 BMW M550i
Photo by Charles from Port Chester, New York, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0
Complaints

2

Per year

0

Recalls

3

Years on the road

7

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Fuel system, gasoline (1 of 2) and Powertrain (1).

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 M550i has 0 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2021 has 1 complaint, 0 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2021.

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 2020 BMW M550i. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2021-02-19 · NHTSA campaign 21V096000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, M550i, X4M, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5M, X5 M50i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, Alpina XB7, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, and 8 Series Coupe, Convertible and Grand Coupe, 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8, 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le, 745Le xDrive, X5 xDrive45e, X3 xDrive30e, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M50i, X6M, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 740i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, M760i Drive, M760Li xDrive, 750Li xDrive Alpina, Alpina B7 xDrive, and 2021 4 Series Coupe 430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive vehicles. When shifting into Reverse, a small portion of the rearview image may be obscured, or the screen may not illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2020-09-30 · NHTSA campaign 20V598000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 X3 sDrive 30i, X3 xDrive 30i, X3M 40i, X3 xDrive 30e, X4 xDrive 30i, X4M 40i, 530i, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 550e, 550e xDrive, and 550e iPerformance vehicles. A small portion of the rearview image may be slightly obscured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, program the rearview camera with updated software. The recall began November 18, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2019-09-27 · NHTSA campaign 19V684000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 530e, 530e xDrive, X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive, X3 M40i, X3 M, and 2019-2020 X4 xDrive, X4 M40i, X4 M, X7 xDrive, X7 M50i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 8 Series Convertible and Coupe 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, X5 sDrive, X5 xDrive, X5 M50i, X6 xDrive, X6 M50i, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, Z4 sDrive, Z4 M40i, 740Le xDrive and 745Le xDrive, 2018-2019 640i xDrive Gran Turismo and Rolls-Royce Phantom, 2019 M850i xDrive Gran Coupe and Rolls-Royce Cullinan and 2020 Toyota Supra vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.

Complaints by component (2 total)

Fuel system, gasoline
1
Powertrain
1
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1202112025
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The front differential and rear drive train has been problematic and has failed in model years starting 2019. My car is a April 2020 car with 34,000 miles and has already failed. There are numerous cars that share the…"
    Powertrain, Unknown or other · filed 2025-02-24
  • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 BMW M550I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SLOWING DOWN TO STOP, THE AUTO STOP FUEL SAVING SYSTEM SUDDENLY ACTIVATED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ABRUPTLY STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL…"
    Fuel system, gasoline · filed 2021-01-25

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
M550i xDrive 4.4L, 8-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 18 25 20 MPG $4000

Specs and fitment

Tracked generation(s), 2018–present
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-30 (SAE; verify BMW LL label)
Tire size 245/40R19, 245/35R20, 275/35R19, 275/30R20

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA complaints and recalls for BMW M550i vehicles in the tracked years include air-bag, braking (vacuum pump lubrication campaigns such as 13V-454 on related N20 engines), lighting, and electrical themes shared across BMW 3/4/5/7/M lines. Confirm each campaign by VIN; many unit totals span multiple BMW models.

Compare

See every BMW M550i model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 BMW M550i reliable?

The 2020 BMW M550i has 2 complaints with NHTSA after 7 years, or 0 per year. That is more complaints per year than most M550i years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Camera.

What are common problems with a 2020 BMW M550i?

The complaints owners file most often name Fuel system, gasoline (1 of 2) and Powertrain (1).

Is the 2020 BMW M550i more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 M550i has 0 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2021 has 1 complaint, 0 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2021.

Has the 2020 BMW M550i been recalled?

The 2020 BMW M550i has 3 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 2020 BMW M550i?

Owners have filed 2 complaints about the 2020 BMW M550i with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 BMW M550i get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 BMW M550i is 20 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 M550i use?

0W-30 (SAE; verify BMW LL label)

What tire sizes fit a US BMW M550i?

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 M550i?

NHTSA complaints and recalls for BMW M550i vehicles in the tracked years include air-bag, braking (vacuum pump lubrication campaigns such as 13V-454 on related N20 engines), lighting, and electrical themes shared across BMW 3/4/5/7/M lines. Confirm each campaign by VIN; many unit totals span multiple BMW models.