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2008 BMW 650I

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 5 of 6 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

3 reports
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51,000 miles · Sep 12, 2019
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

ALL THE WIRING TO THE STANDARD XENON HEADLIGHTS AND DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS HAVE DETERIORATED. IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BY BMW, AS THEY WERE USING BIODEGRADABLE WIRING COATING. THE PROTECTIVE COATING OF THE WIRES DRIES UP, FALLS OFF AND CREATES SHORTS LEADING TO TOTAL HEADLIGHT FAILURE THAT CANNOT BE REPAIRED. THERE HAVE BEEN NUM…

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ALL THE WIRING TO THE STANDARD XENON HEADLIGHTS AND DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS HAVE DETERIORATED. IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BY BMW, AS THEY WERE USING BIODEGRADABLE WIRING COATING. THE PROTECTIVE COATING OF THE WIRES DRIES UP, FALLS OFF AND CREATES SHORTS LEADING TO TOTAL HEADLIGHT FAILURE THAT CANNOT BE REPAIRED. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMERIOUS COMPLAINTS OF THESE WIRES CAUSING CAR AND ENGINE FIRES AS WELL AS DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WHERE THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT WORK. BMW REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND THEIR ONLY FIX IS TO HAVE THE CONSUMER BUY NEW HEADLIGHTS AT ROUGHLY $1800 PER LIGHT. IN MY CASE, BOTH HEADLAMPS HAVE DETERIORATED WIRE COATING AND EXPOSED WIRES. THE RIGHT HEADLAMP HAS FAILED.

NHTSA ODI #11254889

Mileage unknown · Feb 12, 2019
Electrical SystemEngineSeatsFire

WE HAVE ALMOST DIED IN THIS CAR TWICE. THE FIRST TIME IN 2017, I WAS DRIVING DOWN A CITY STREET AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE HOOD. IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER, AND OPENED THE HOOD TO FIND STARTER IN FLAMES. CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE AND THE CAR SPENT A WEEK IN THE SHOP GETTING "REPAIRED". THIS PAST WEE…

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WE HAVE ALMOST DIED IN THIS CAR TWICE. THE FIRST TIME IN 2017, I WAS DRIVING DOWN A CITY STREET AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE HOOD. IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER, AND OPENED THE HOOD TO FIND STARTER IN FLAMES. CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE AND THE CAR SPENT A WEEK IN THE SHOP GETTING "REPAIRED". THIS PAST WEEK, AGAIN WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET, I SMELLED WHAT SMELLED LIKE BURNING METAL. PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY AND LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD HOWEVER NOTHING WAS THERE. FELT A SLIGHT BURN ON MYSELF AND DISCOVERED THAT MY HEATED SEAT HAD BURNED A A HALF DOLLAR SIZE HOLE IF NOT BIGGER INTO THE SEAT AND BURNED THROUGH MY EXPENSIVE JACKET AND A SWEATER! THIS CAR IS UNSAFE. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, WE LEARNED THAT THOUSANDS OF BMW'S CATCH ON FIRE EVERY YEAR. WE SPENT MONEY ON A LUXURY VEHICLE FOR MORE SAFETY AND COMFORT, NOT A DEATH TRAP. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR AND HAVE NOT DONE SO SINCE THE LAST FIRE (BURNED SEAT).

NHTSA ODI #11176430

100,000 miles · Feb 11, 2019
Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 650I. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE CONVERTIBLE TOP ON THE VEHICLE, BUT IT WOULD NOT CLOSE DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. IN ADDITION, THE SERVICE VEHICLE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BMW OF LAS VEGAS (6900 W SAHARA AVE, LAS VEGAS, NV 89117, (702) 570-0279), BUT NO ASS…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 650I. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE CONVERTIBLE TOP ON THE VEHICLE, BUT IT WOULD NOT CLOSE DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. IN ADDITION, THE SERVICE VEHICLE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BMW OF LAS VEGAS (6900 W SAHARA AVE, LAS VEGAS, NV 89117, (702) 570-0279), BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

NHTSA ODI #11176329

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.