Problem Lookup › BMW › 6 Series › 2013
Car problem report
2013 BMW 6 Series problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2013 BMW 6 Series has been recalled for, how often it fails the UK MOT and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 0safety recalls
- 22owner complaints
- 0crash reports
- 1fire report
- 20%fail the UK MOT
22 complaints, against an average of 12 for the other 5 BMW 6 Series model years.
Every BMW 6 Series model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2013 BMW 6 Series?
The components named most often in the 22 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2013 BMW 6 Series owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 22 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
Has the 2013 BMW 6 Series been recalled?
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2013 BMW 6 Series as of October 25, 2026. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN before you rely on this.
Is the 2013 BMW 6 Series recalled in the UK or Europe?
Recalls issued by the UK's DVSA and through the EU's Safety Gate system that cover this model and build period. European models can differ from U.S. ones, and "years estimated" means the recall gave no build dates, so confirm your own car with your registration or VIN.
UK DVSATakata Driver and/or Passenger Airbag Recall (Global VINs)
Risk: Affected vehicles are already included in Safety Recalls within the markets they have previously resided in. The vehicles may be fitted with a driver and/or passenger airbag/s which if deployed may do so with excessive force causing sharp metal fragments to be released this may cause serious injury which could prove fatal to people in the vicinity.
Fix: Vehicles will have the affected airbags checked and if necessary replaced.
UK DVSACheck Driver’s Airbag for Conversion Takata SDI & PSDI-5
Risk: Affected vehicles may have had a retrofit or conversion of the airbag using a previously recalled airbag variant which if deployed may do so with excessive force causing sharp metal fragments to be released this may cause serious injury possibly fatal to people in the vicinity. The original factory fitment airbag for the vehicle is not affected.
Fix: Vehicles will have the airbag checked and if necessary replaced.
UK DVSAA possible degradation of the propellant tablets could lead to an over-aggressive combustion in the event the airbag is activated which…A possible degradation of the propellant tablets could lead to an over-aggressive combustion in the event the airbag is activated which may cause the inflator body to rupture.
Risk: A possible degradation of airbag propellant tablets could lead to an over-aggressive combustion in the event the airbag is activated which may cause the inflator body to rupture.
Fix: On affected vehicles the drivers airbag module will be replaced.
UK DVSAUndetected EGR System leaks may cause thermal activity in the intake manifold
Risk: Undetected EGR System leaks may cause thermal activity in the intake manifold.
Fix: The engine management control unit (DDE) will be programmed with improved software incorporating the latest OBD functionality.
UK DVSAThe exhaust gas recirculation cooler may leak over time and cause thermal incident
Risk: The Exhaust Gas Recirculation cooler may leak over time and cause thermal incident.
Fix: On the affected vehicles the EGR cooler module will be replaced.
UK DVSAExhaust gas recirculation module cooler could leak
Risk: The EGR cooler may leakpresenting a fire risk
Fix: A visual inspection of the EGR cooler to check for leaks and excessive build-up of deposits. The EGR cooler will be replaced on all affected vehicles
UK DVSAEngine may fail
Risk: In individual cases the oil pump may no longer provide the required oil pressure. This may cause severe engine damage. Additionally the occurrence of critical driving situations cannot be ruled out because the oil pressure may drop suddenly while driving. The driver will usually notice a drop in the engine oil pressure due to the check control message ''Low oil Pressure''. It is also possible the engine block will be damaged and as a result engine oil may be lost.
Fix: The oil pump will be replaced with the correct version.
EU Safety GateThe propellant in the driver airbag may deteriorate over time.If the airbags deploy, it could result in fragments from the inflator injuring the vehicle's occupants.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateA seam on the inflator housing of the driver airbag may not have been correctly welded.In case of accident, when the airbag is deployed, the inflator can burst, releasing metal parts which could cause injuries.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateThe propellant in the driver airbag can deteriorate due to high humidity and temperature variations.In the event of an accident in which the airbag deploys, this could result in fragments from the inflator casing coming loose and injuring the vehicle’s occupants.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: 29/06/2021
EU Safety GateThe airbag propellant may deteriorate over time, and If deployed, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator body to burst and…The airbag propellant may deteriorate over time, and If deployed, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator body to burst and metal fragments could pass through the cushion material causing injury to occupants.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
How often does the 2013 BMW 6 Series fail its MOT?
Why they failed: the share of failed tests with at least one fault in each area (a test can fail on several). Cars first registered in 2013, tested in Great Britain in 2023; first registration is usually, but not always, the model year. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, Open Government Licence v3.0.
What do 2013 BMW 6 Series owners report?
12 of the 22 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
Presently this vehicle has 57,000 miles on it. It began having issues with a drivetrain malfunction warning back in 2021. Reported on complaint # 11427753. To date I have had to have fuel injectors replaced, a catalytic converter, the transfer case, two high pressure fuel pumps and an O2 sensor to resolve issues. Approximately $15,000.00 in repairs over the last 20k miles. This particular engine is known to have issues with excessive oil consumption. I had the same issues with a 2012 BMW 550GT which at 102,000 miles I was forced to get rid of the vehicle as BMW told me the only way to fix the…
BMW issues a customer care package regarding issues with the fuel injectors. I originally had to have #8 injector replaced. Shortly after leaving dealership the check engine light came on. To find out now that the catalytic converter on that side of the engine needed replaced ($3400) which they would not provide any assistance on, even though it was most likely caused by the excess fuel being passed through. The car had 38,558 miles on it at the time but was two months passed the 8 year warranty!!!! At 51,875 miles, problem had existed for several thousand miles. The dealership replaced the…
Due to ongoing issues with the BMW N--63 engine which is known for excessive oil use! They claim that one quart per 750-1000 miles is normal ???Car now stutters on acceleration, BMW serviced the vehicle, changing transfer case fluid ( All fluid was not able to be exchanged without removing the transfer case and that was not done )and recalibrated transfer box. Replaced O2 Sensor as well. Repairs did not solve the issue, slight improvement but stuttering continues. Now they say that to resolve this the transfer case would need replaced !! This car has 52,000 miles on it! Due to the failing fuel…
BMW voluntarily came out with an extended warranty for faulty fuel injectors (not a recall). Warning of drive train malfunction came on, vehicle would barely run. Dealer determined that #8 fuel injector was the problem and was replaced. The fuel injection shuts down during DT malfunction so all fuel is not being burned. A short time after leaving dealership the check engine light came on (less than . Now I have a bad catalytic converter, BMW states that is not covered as a related repair because it was not done at the time of the fuel injector repair?? The catalytic converter is covered for 8…
WARNING LIGHT THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG WAS NOT WORKING
I'VE HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR, WHICH HAVE BEEN QUITE DISAPPOINTING. DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION LIGHT POPPED UP JUST AROUND 52K MILES, IT HAD A ROUGH IDLE, MULTIPLE CYLINDER MISFIRES AND WOULD GO LIMP OFTEN. WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN, WHERE THEY TOLD ME AFTER DIAGNOSTICS THEY WERE NOT SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE COILS/SPARK PLUGS. CHANGED OUT BOTH OF THOSE AND IT RAN GOOD FOR A COUPLE MONTHS. 58K MILES, 65KMILES , 70K MILES AND NOW 85-90K MILES ALL HAVE HAD THIS DRIVETRAIN PROBLEM. THE CAR IS NOW AT 92K MILES AND IS ROUGH IDLING AND MISFIRING…
ON 9/27/19 I LEFT THE GAS STATION WITH FULL TANK OF GAS AND STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT ON A BUSY ROAD IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THE LIGHT CHANGED GREEN MY VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND WOULD NOT RESTART CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD. I PUT THE GEAR IN NEUTRAL AND PUSHED OUT OF THE ROAD. A LIGHT CAME ON "AUTO START/STOP DISENGAGED." EVERYTHING ELSE POWERED (WINDOWS, RADIO, REAR SHADES, SCREEN, PHONE AND NAVIGATION, ETC.) AND WORKED SO THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE BATTERY. THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED 1 HOUR LATER, THE CAR WOULDN'T START, LOCKED UP COMPLETELY AND THE GEAR WOULDN'T SHIFT. THE DEALERSHIP HAD MY CAR FROM…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 640I. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT AUTO ECONO RESTART AND HAD TO BE PUSHED OFF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO TOM BUSH BMW JACKSONVILLE (9875 ATLANTIC BLVD, JACKSONVILLE, FL 32225, (904) 371-4790) WHERE THE BATTERY AND BRAKES WERE REPLACED. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE OIL FILTER GASKET WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE DAYS LATER. THE CONTACT RESEARCHED THE FAILURE AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS AN INTAKE FUEL FAILURE CAUSED BY UNDER VOLTAGE AND THE FUEL PUMP CONTROL UNIT FAILED FROM…
CAN NOT LOCK OR UNLOCK CAR FROM WITHIN OR OUT. REPLACED DOOR ACTUATOR ON A DRIVER SIDE WHICH DID NOT SOLVE A PROBLEM.
PRIOR TO 4/3/2018 ON APPROXIMATELY 4 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE STARTED AND IDLED ROUGH. ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND RE-STARTED AND RAN SMOOTH. ON 4/3/2018 THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING AND IN TRAFFIC AND WOULD NOT RESTART. ALL ENGINE POWER WAS LOST (NO POWER STEERING, NO FORWARD MOTION) BUT ALL ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS WERE OK. TOWED CAR TO BMW DEALER WHERE THEY FOUND (2) HIGH PRESSURE AND (1) LOW PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILURES WHICH WERE REPLACED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. NO OTHER ISSUES WERE DISCOVERED THROUGH THE INSPECTION AND REPAIRS. ON 5/22/2018 (PM) UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE IT RAN…
THE RUN FLAT TIRE SIDEWALL FAILED AFTER DRIVING OVER A VERY SMALL POT HOLE. THIS IS THE NINTH (9TH) TIRE TO BE REPLACED IN LESS THAN 14 MONTHS. 8 OF THE 9 WERE GOODYEAR EAGLE LS-2. BMW REFUSED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECTIVE CAR. THEY BLAMED THE GOODYEAR TIRE. I CHANGED THE ENTIRE SET OF TIRES TO BRIDGESTONE DRIVEGUARD AND A LITTLE OVER 600 MILES LATER ANOTHER TIRE FAILED. TWO OF THE FAILURES HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND A CRASH WAS LUCKILY AVERTED. THIS IS AN UNSAFE CAR SPECIFIED FROM THE FACTORY WITH THESE RUN FLAT TIRES. SEARCHING THE INTERNET THIS IS A RAMPANT PROBLEM WITH BMW…
SO THE ISSUE I'M EXPERIENCING HAPPENS WHILE IN MOTION RANDOMLY (DRIVING) WITH MY 2013 BMW 650 XI GRAND COUPE. ! AS I'M DRIVING , THE DASH BOARD AND THE BMW IDRIVE DISPLAYS ALL MAJOR MALFUNCTIONS WITH MY 2013 BMW 650XI GRAND COUPE . THEN MY BMW PROCEEDS TO SHAKE , SLOWS DOWN AND THEN YOUR UNABLE TO ACCELERATE PASS 20-30 MPH. WITHIN A MIN THE ENTIRE CAR SHUTS DOWN. IT'S VERY HARD TO STEER ONCE IT SHUTS DOWN BECAUSE THE CAR BATTERY IS COMPLETELY DEAD & UNABLE TO GIVE IT A BOOST . IT'S VERY SCARY HAVING A CAR POWERING DOWN WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY OR MAJOR ROADS WERE YOU HAVE HUGE…
2013 BMW 6 Series: questions owners ask
Is the 2013 BMW 6 Series reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 22 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 BMW 6 Series; the most common categories were engine (12, 54.5%), fuel/propulsion system (9, 40.9%), power train (7, 31.8%). There are no safety recalls listed for this model year. 1 mentions a fire.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 BMW 6 Series?
Across 22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are engine (54.5% of complaints), fuel/propulsion system (40.9% of complaints), power train (31.8% of complaints), electrical system (18.2% of complaints), air bags (4.5% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2013 BMW 6 Series have any recalls?
As of October 2026, NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2013 BMW 6 Series. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why does my 2013 BMW 6 Series stall, lose power or shut off while driving?
8 of the 22 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 BMW 6 Series (36.4%) describe the engine stalling, losing power or shutting off while driving. One owner wrote: "Tl* the contact owns a 2013 bmw 650i. while the vehicle was stopped in traffic, the drive train malfunction warning indicator illuminated. the contact stated that the vehicle seized in moving traffic." (NHTSA complaint 11196656, April 2019). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why is the check engine light on in my 2013 BMW 6 Series?
5 of the 22 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 BMW 6 Series (22.7%) describe the check engine light coming on. One owner wrote: "While driving, suddenly the car will start shaking with immediate loss of power and the engine light comes on. the main screen displays "drivetrain malfunction: drive moderately. maximum drivetrain output not available." (NHTSA complaint 11074080, February 2018). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Does the 2013 BMW 6 Series have emissions system or DPF problems?
4 of the 22 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 BMW 6 Series (18.2%) describe emissions faults such as DPF, EGR, catalytic converter, AdBlue/DEF or NOx sensor problems. One owner wrote: "Presently this vehicle has 57,000 miles on it. It began having issues with a drivetrain malfunction warning back in 2021. Reported on complaint # 11427753." (NHTSA complaint 11669655, June 2025). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Check your own 6 Series
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), DVSA anonymised MOT results (Open Government Licence v3.0), DVSA vehicle recalls (Open Government Licence v3.0), EU Safety Gate alerts (© European Union), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2013 only; combines NHTSA's entries for 640I, 640I GRAN, 650I, 650I GRAN and 650I XDRIVE GRAN.