Jun 10, 2019Electrical systemSeatsFire1 injury
WHILE DRIVING MY PASSENGER SEAT BACK BURNT MY WIFE'S BACK AND WAS SMOKING. I TURNED THE SEAT COOLING OFF AND IT STOPPED.
NHTSA ODI 11219124
Home · 2012 BMW 650i Xdrive · Complaints
What 22 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 BMW 650i Xdrive
These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.
All (22)Crash / fire / injury (2)Engine (13)Seats (3)Airbags (2)Brakes (2)Electrical system (2)Fuel system (2)Seat belts (2)Body & structure (1)Wheels (1)
2 of 22 complaints match · Electrical system · clear filters
Oct 11, 2011Electrical system
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 650I. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 70 MPH, IN A THUNDERSTORM IN THE LEFT LANE OF THE INTERSTATE, WHEN HE NOTICED A BOLT OF LIGHTING LAND JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE INTERSTATE IN THE GRASS. 31 OF 43 ELECTRICAL MODULES FAILED IMMEDIATELY, INCLUDING THE ENGINE, STEERING, BRAKES, RADIO AND THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE COULDN'T BE RE-STARTED, OR EVEN SHIFTED INTO TO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE BMW DEALERSHIP FOR 105 DAYS, WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. NONE OF THE REPLACED PARTS EXHIBITED ANY PHYSICAL STIGMATA OF HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICAL DAMAGE AND THERE WAS NO BURNING, SCORCHING, OR MELTING EVIDENT ON ANY OF THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS INSIDE THE REPLACED COMPONENTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT ASSERTED THAT THE BMW WARRANTY DID NOT COVER MALFUNCTIONS RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES SUCH AS THUNDERSTORMS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,345. UPDATED 03/07/12
NHTSA ODI 10429457
Working with the data? Download all 22 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 28, 2026
How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 BMW 650i Xdrive verdict →