The Lemon Index
BMW's 4.4 L twin-turbo ("hot-vee") V8 in the 5 Series, 7 Series, X5, X6, X7, model years 2008–2023. YouTube likes the 2018 best.
Middle of the pack: YouTube owner tone 52/100, #59 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the middle third); no engine-related recall on record, 2 known issues listed below.
Reliability by year
YouTube videos are most positive about the 2018 (61) and least about the 2010 (42); neighboring years share many of the same videos, so small gaps mean little.
Owner score = the whole car's Lemon Index where this was its only engine that year; a gray dot means the model shared engines, so the number isn't this engine's alone. How we count
How each number is matched to the engine: (a) complaints filed under a version name that used only this engine that year (e.g. "335I"); (b) the model had only this engine that year, so its Lemon Index (complaints per car sold vs the average car) applies to every car with this engine; "all engines combined" = the model had several engines under one name, so its number is not this engine's alone. Owner complaints cover the whole car (brakes, air bags, electrics ...), not only the engine. None of these is a failure rate. YouTube tone = how positive the videos are, 0–100, from titles and transcripts that name the engine or a version that used it. A video whose title names no model year counts toward every year of its generation, so neighboring years share most of their videos.
All the numbers, year by year
| Year | Cars with it | Owner complaints | Complaints naming "N63" | YouTube says | Top complaint areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | BMW X6 X6 xDrive50i | all engines combined: BMW X6 5 complaints | 0 | not enough videos | — |
| 2009 | BMW 7 Series 750i, 750li BMW X6 X6 xDrive50i | 26 complaints (b: only engine in BMW 7 Series; no sales data, so no per-car score) | 5 | 51 (14 videos, 11 naming 2009) | engine, transmission & drivetrain, fuel system |
| 2010 | BMW 5 Series 550 GT, 550i xDrive GT BMW 7 Series 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 750i, 750i xDrive BMW X6 ActiveHybrid X6, X6 xDrive50i | 46 complaints (a: filed as 750i) | 7 | 42 (12 videos, 9 naming 2010) | engine, transmission & drivetrain, fuel system |
| 2011 | BMW 5 Series 550i, 550i xDrive BMW 7 Series 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 750i, 750i xDrive, ActiveHybrid 7Li, ActiveHybrid 7i BMW X5 X5 xDrive50i BMW X6 ActiveHybrid X6, X6 xDrive50i | 130 complaints (a: filed as 550i, 750i) | 15 | 48 (28 videos, 16 naming 2011) | engine, electrical, transmission & drivetrain |
| 2012 | BMW 5 Series 550i, 550i xDrive BMW 7 Series 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 750i, 750i xDrive, ActiveHybrid 7, ActiveHybrid 7L BMW X5 X5 xDrive50i BMW X6 X6 xDrive50i | 80 complaints (a: filed as 550i, 750i) | 11 | 44 (27 videos, 15 naming 2012) | engine, transmission & drivetrain, fuel system |
| 2013 | BMW 5 Series 550i, 550i xDrive BMW 7 Series 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 750i, 750i xDrive BMW X5 X5 xDrive50i BMW X6 X6 xDrive50i | 40 complaints (a: filed as 550i, 750i) | 7 | 45 (30 videos, 18 naming 2013) | engine, fuel system, transmission & drivetrain |
| 2014 | BMW 5 Series 550i, 550i xDrive BMW 7 Series 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 750i, 750i xDrive BMW X5 X5 xDrive50i BMW X6 X6 xDrive50i | 16 complaints (a: filed as 550i, 750i) | 2 | 50 (27 videos, 15 naming 2014) | engine, fuel system, air bags |
| 2015 | BMW 5 Series 550i, 550i xDrive BMW 7 Series 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 750i, 750i xDrive BMW X5 X5 xDrive50i BMW X6 X6 xDrive50i | 8 complaints (a: filed as 550i, 750i) | 1 | 47 (24 videos, 12 naming 2015) | transmission & drivetrain, fuel system, tires |
| 2016 | BMW 5 Series 550i, 550i xDrive BMW 7 Series 750i, 750i xDrive BMW X5 X5 xDrive50i BMW X6 X6 xDrive50i | 15 complaints (a: filed as 550i, 750i) | 0 | 57 (27 videos, 15 naming 2016) | tires, engine, other |
| 2017 | BMW 5 Series 550i xDrive BMW 7 Series 750i, 750i xDrive BMW X5 X5 xDrive50i BMW X6 X6 xDrive50i | 4 complaints (a: filed as 750i) | 0 | not enough videos | body & structure, other, transmission & drivetrain |
| 2018 | BMW 5 Series M550i xDrive BMW 7 Series 750i, 750i xDrive BMW X5 X5 xDrive50i BMW X6 X6 xDrive50i | 24 complaints (a: filed as M550i, 750i) | 1 | 61 (9 videos, 4 naming 2018) | air bags, seat belts, electrical |
| 2019 | BMW 5 Series M550i xDrive BMW 7 Series 750i, 750i xDrive BMW X5 X5 xDrive50i BMW X6 X6 xDrive50i BMW X7 X7 xDrive50i | all engines combined: BMW 5 Series Index 39; BMW 7 Series 5 complaints; BMW X5 Index 74; BMW X6 5 complaints; BMW X7 48 complaints | 0 | 57 (12 videos, 7 naming 2019) | — |
| 2020 | BMW 5 Series M550i xDrive BMW 7 Series 750i xDrive BMW X5 X5 M50i, X5 xDrive50i BMW X6 X6 M50i BMW X7 X7 M50i, X7 xDrive50i | 6 complaints (a: filed as M550i, 750i) | 0 | 59 (39 videos, 34 naming 2020) | transmission & drivetrain, other, fuel system |
| 2021 | BMW 5 Series M550i xDrive BMW 7 Series 750i xDrive BMW X5 X5 M50i BMW X6 X6 M50i BMW X7 X7 M50i | 5 complaints (a: filed as M550i, 750i) | 0 | 54 (21 videos, 16 naming 2021) | transmission & drivetrain, wheels, other |
| 2022 | BMW 5 Series M550i xDrive BMW 7 Series 750i xDrive BMW X5 X5 M50i BMW X6 X6 M50i BMW X7 X7 M50i | 2 complaints (a: filed as M550i) | 0 | 59 (21 videos, 16 naming 2022) | wheels, engine |
| 2023 | BMW 5 Series M550i xDrive BMW X5 X5 M50i BMW X6 X6 M50i | 1 complaint (a: filed as M550i) | 0 | 54 (5 videos, 3 naming 2023) | body & structure, other |
Known issues on record
- In December 2014 BMW North America issued a voluntary "Customer Care Package" covering timing-chain stretch, fuel injectors, mass-air-flow sensors, crankcase vent lines, the battery, the vacuum pump and a low-pressure fuel sensor, plus a shorter oil-service interval.
- A 2019 class action settlement covered oil consumption and battery drain.
According to Wikipedia's BMW N63 article and its sources.
Every US version with this engine
| Model and version | Years | Power |
|---|---|---|
| BMW 5 Series 550 GT | 2010 | 402 hp · 443 lb-ft |
| BMW 5 Series 550i xDrive GT | 2010 | 402 hp · 443 lb-ft |
| BMW 5 Series 550i | 2011–13 | 402 hp · 443 lb-ft |
| BMW 5 Series 550i xDrive | 2011–13 | 402 hp · 443 lb-ft |
| BMW 5 Series 550i | 2014–16 | 444 hp · 479 lb-ft |
| BMW 5 Series 550i xDrive | 2014–17 | 444 hp · 479 lb-ft |
| BMW 5 Series M550i xDrive | 2018–20 | — |
| BMW 5 Series M550i xDrive | 2021–23 | 523 hp · 553 lb-ft |
| BMW 7 Series 750i | 2009–12 | 402 hp · 443 lb-ft |
| BMW 7 Series 750li | 2009 | 402 hp · 443 lb-ft |
| BMW 7 Series 750Li | 2010–12 | 402 hp · 443 lb-ft |
| BMW 7 Series 750Li xDrive | 2010–12 | 402 hp · 443 lb-ft |
| BMW 7 Series 750i xDrive | 2010–12 | 402 hp · 443 lb-ft |
| BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid 7Li | 2011 | — |
| BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid 7i | 2011 | — |
| BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid 7 | 2012 | — |
| BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid 7L | 2012 | — |
| BMW 7 Series 750Li | 2013–15 | 444 hp · 479 lb-ft |
| BMW 7 Series 750Li xDrive | 2013–15 | 444 hp · 479 lb-ft |
| BMW 7 Series 750i | 2013–15 | 444 hp · 479 lb-ft |
| BMW 7 Series 750i xDrive | 2013–15 | 444 hp · 479 lb-ft |
| BMW 7 Series 750i | 2016–19 | — |
| BMW 7 Series 750i xDrive | 2016–19 | — |
| BMW 7 Series 750i xDrive | 2020–22 | 523 hp · 553 lb-ft |
| BMW X5 X5 xDrive50i | 2011–13 | 402 hp · 443 lb-ft |
| BMW X5 X5 xDrive50i | 2014–18 | 444 hp · 479 lb-ft |
| BMW X5 X5 xDrive50i | 2019–20 | 456 hp · 479 lb-ft |
| BMW X5 X5 M50i | 2020–23 | 523 hp · 553 lb-ft |
| BMW X6 X6 xDrive50i | 2008–14 | 402 hp · 443 lb-ft |
| BMW X6 ActiveHybrid X6 | 2010–11 | — |
| BMW X6 X6 xDrive50i | 2015–19 | 444 hp · 479 lb-ft |
| BMW X6 X6 M50i | 2020–23 | 523 hp · 553 lb-ft |
| BMW X7 X7 xDrive50i | 2019–20 | 456 hp · 479 lb-ft |
| BMW X7 X7 M50i | 2020–22 | 523 hp · 553 lb-ft |
Versions and years: EPA (fueleconomy.gov). Engine and power: Wikipedia, BMW N63 (BMW ratings; US figures can differ by a few hp).
Quick answers
What cars have the BMW N63 engine?
In the US: the 5 Series, 7 Series, X5, X6, X7, model years 2008–2023. See the version table for each one.
Is the N63 reliable?
Mostly, with known issues to check. YouTube owner tone 52/100, #59 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the middle third); no engine-related recall on record, 2 known issues listed below. The most owner complaints (about any part of the car) filed under version names that used this engine were for the 2011 (130). Counts follow sales, so this is not a failure rate. Government complaints are filed by model and year, not engine, and they cover the whole car, so none of these numbers is an engine failure rate. We only credit a number to this engine where the version name or the model year leaves no doubt. Have any used car inspected.
How much horsepower does the N63 make?
BMW rated it at 402 to 523 hp in US versions, depending on the car and year.