Total Complaints
6 filings
BMW 650I · model year
2009 BMW 650I
6 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2009BMW650I carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2009 650I is exterior lighting with 1 filings, followed by steering (1) and suspension (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 2009 650I. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
6
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20171121POWER TRAIN
I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION OF THIS VEHICLE, AND IT IS DANGEROUS....EXAMPLE IS WHEN I WAS AT A STOP SIGN FOR EXAMPLE, AND I WOULD ACCELERATE TO NAVIGATE THE INTERSECTION THE GEAR WOULD JUMP INTO NEUTRAL FOR NO REASON, AND LEAVE ME STUCK IN THE INTERSECTION, ANY ONCOMING VEHICLE COULD HAVE EASILY STRUCK ME, UPON NOTIFYING BMW OF THIS SITUATION THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS EITHER A SENSOR OR RELAY ISSUE. IT WAS CORRECTED FOR A WHILE....THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN FAILED AND THIS TIME THEY SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, THE VEHICLE HAD 85,000 MILES....AND WAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED AT A BMW DEALERSHIP AND WAS NEVER ABUSED IN ANY WAY. BMW HAS ALSO HAD A LOT OF ISSUES WITH THE ENGINES ON THESE MODELS AS I HAVE
Mileage: 1
20160907AIR BAGS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BMW 650I. WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED TO THE ON POSITION, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG RESTRAINT MALFUNCTION WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT MAT FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 51,000.
Mileage: 51,000
20140610STEERING
BOUGHT CAR FROM DEALER W/18K MILES, TEST DROVE AND NOTICED NOISE/VIBRATION UNDER FEET, STEERING WHEEL SHAKES, (SAID IT WAS THE "SPORT PACKAGE, RAIN, TIRES".) THEY HAD EXCUSE FOR EVERYTHING. THIS IS THE THIRD CAR I HAVE OWNED LIKED THIS AND NO ISSUES OF THIS KIND. FINALLY TOOK TO ANOTHER DEALER, SAID IT WAS THE RIMS BENT, TIRES DAMAGED. RETURNED TO 1ST DEALER FOR REPAIRS TO RIMS/NEW TIRES. THE NOISE SOUNDS LIKE GOING OVER A "ROCKY ROAD" BUT THIS IS CONSTANT & HAPPENS ON ALL ROAD SURFACES. THE VIBRATIONS CAN BE FELT UNDER THE PASSENGER AND NOW THE DRIVER SIDE FLOOR BOARDS. THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES. THE CAR HAS HAD ALIGNMENTS. THE DEALER SAID THEY REPAIRED THE BENT RIMS, REPLACED THE TIRES. SINCE THEN, I HAVE MYSELF REPLACED THE RIMS, 2 SETS OF TIRES, ALIGNMENT, MULTIPLE BALANCING. I HAVE BEEN AT THE DEALER REPEATEDLY REQUESTING A RESOLUTION. THE RESPONSE IS " UNABLE TO DUPLICATE CUSTOMER COMPLAINT". THIS IS DRIVING ME CRAZY. THE CAR NOW HAS 75K MILES. SURELY, THERE IS A PROBLEM. I HAVE
Mileage: 18,000
20140610SUSPENSION
BOUGHT CAR FROM DEALER W/18K MILES, TEST DROVE AND NOTICED NOISE/VIBRATION UNDER FEET, STEERING WHEEL SHAKES, (SAID IT WAS THE "SPORT PACKAGE, RAIN, TIRES".) THEY HAD EXCUSE FOR EVERYTHING. THIS IS THE THIRD CAR I HAVE OWNED LIKED THIS AND NO ISSUES OF THIS KIND. FINALLY TOOK TO ANOTHER DEALER, SAID IT WAS THE RIMS BENT, TIRES DAMAGED. RETURNED TO 1ST DEALER FOR REPAIRS TO RIMS/NEW TIRES. THE NOISE SOUNDS LIKE GOING OVER A "ROCKY ROAD" BUT THIS IS CONSTANT & HAPPENS ON ALL ROAD SURFACES. THE VIBRATIONS CAN BE FELT UNDER THE PASSENGER AND NOW THE DRIVER SIDE FLOOR BOARDS. THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES. THE CAR HAS HAD ALIGNMENTS. THE DEALER SAID THEY REPAIRED THE BENT RIMS, REPLACED THE TIRES. SINCE THEN, I HAVE MYSELF REPLACED THE RIMS, 2 SETS OF TIRES, ALIGNMENT, MULTIPLE BALANCING. I HAVE BEEN AT THE DEALER REPEATEDLY REQUESTING A RESOLUTION. THE RESPONSE IS " UNABLE TO DUPLICATE CUSTOMER COMPLAINT". THIS IS DRIVING ME CRAZY. THE CAR NOW HAS 75K MILES. SURELY, THERE IS A PROBLEM. I HAVE
Mileage: 18,000
20140610WHEELS
BOUGHT CAR FROM DEALER W/18K MILES, TEST DROVE AND NOTICED NOISE/VIBRATION UNDER FEET, STEERING WHEEL SHAKES, (SAID IT WAS THE "SPORT PACKAGE, RAIN, TIRES".) THEY HAD EXCUSE FOR EVERYTHING. THIS IS THE THIRD CAR I HAVE OWNED LIKED THIS AND NO ISSUES OF THIS KIND. FINALLY TOOK TO ANOTHER DEALER, SAID IT WAS THE RIMS BENT, TIRES DAMAGED. RETURNED TO 1ST DEALER FOR REPAIRS TO RIMS/NEW TIRES. THE NOISE SOUNDS LIKE GOING OVER A "ROCKY ROAD" BUT THIS IS CONSTANT & HAPPENS ON ALL ROAD SURFACES. THE VIBRATIONS CAN BE FELT UNDER THE PASSENGER AND NOW THE DRIVER SIDE FLOOR BOARDS. THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES. THE CAR HAS HAD ALIGNMENTS. THE DEALER SAID THEY REPAIRED THE BENT RIMS, REPLACED THE TIRES. SINCE THEN, I HAVE MYSELF REPLACED THE RIMS, 2 SETS OF TIRES, ALIGNMENT, MULTIPLE BALANCING. I HAVE BEEN AT THE DEALER REPEATEDLY REQUESTING A RESOLUTION. THE RESPONSE IS " UNABLE TO DUPLICATE CUSTOMER COMPLAINT". THIS IS DRIVING ME CRAZY. THE CAR NOW HAS 75K MILES. SURELY, THERE IS A PROBLEM. I HAVE
Mileage: 18,000
20121210EXTERIOR LIGHTING
I WANTED TO ALERT PEOPLE TO THE FACT THAT USE OF PARKING LIGHTS WILL LEAD TO BATTERY FAILURE. BMW WILL REFUSE TO REPLACE BATTERY UNDER WARRANTY IF PARKING LIGHTS WERE USED AND SO PEOPLE WILL STOP USING THEM LEADING TO SOME UNSAFE SITUATIONS. *TR
Mileage: 25,000
Compare 2009BMW650I to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2009 BMW 650I have?▼
The 2009 BMW 650I has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 BMW 650I?▼
The most-complained component for the 2009 BMW 650I is EXTERIOR LIGHTING with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING and SUSPENSION.
Is the 2009 BMW 650I safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.