The Lemon Index
BMW's 4.4 L twin-turbo ("hot-vee") V8 in the M5, X5, X6, model years 2010–2023.
Not rated yet: no YouTube study for the BMW S63 yet; no engine-related recall on record.
Reliability by year
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 "S63" | YouTube says | Top complaint areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | BMW X5 X5 xDriveM BMW X6 X6 xDriveM | all engines combined: BMW X5 Index 28; BMW X6 19 complaints | 0 | not enough videos | — |
| 2011 | BMW X5 X5 xDriveM BMW X6 X6 xDriveM | all engines combined: BMW X5 Index 95; BMW X6 32 complaints | 0 | not enough videos | — |
| 2012 | BMW X5 X5 xDriveM BMW X6 X6 xDriveM | all engines combined: BMW X5 Index 81; BMW X6 34 complaints | 2 | not enough videos | — |
| 2013 | BMW M5 M5 BMW X5 X5 M BMW X6 X6 M | 10 complaints (b: only engine in BMW M5; no sales data, so no per-car score) | 0 | not enough videos | engine, steering, seat belts |
| 2014 | BMW M5 M5 BMW X6 X6 M | 2 complaints (b: only engine in BMW M5; no sales data, so no per-car score) | 0 | not enough videos | engine, transmission & drivetrain, speed control |
| 2015 | BMW M5 M5 BMW X5 X5 M BMW X6 X6 M | 3 complaints (b: only engine in BMW M5; no sales data, so no per-car score) | 0 | not enough videos | brakes, engine, fuel system |
| 2016 | BMW M5 M5 BMW X5 X5 M BMW X6 X6 M | 1 complaints (b: only engine in BMW M5; no sales data, so no per-car score) | 0 | not enough videos | other |
| 2017 | BMW X5 X5 M BMW X6 X6 M | all engines combined: BMW X5 Index 50; BMW X6 3 complaints | 0 | not enough videos | — |
| 2018 | BMW M5 M5 BMW X5 X5 M BMW X6 X6 M | 6 complaints (b: only engine in BMW M5; no sales data, so no per-car score) | 0 | not enough videos | engine, air bags, fuel system |
| 2019 | BMW M5 M5, M5 Competition BMW X6 X6 M | 8 complaints (b: only engine in BMW M5; no sales data, so no per-car score) | 0 | not enough videos | engine, transmission & drivetrain, other |
| 2020 | BMW M5 M5, M5 Competition BMW X5 X5 M, X5 M Competition BMW X6 X6 M, X6 M Competition | 2 complaints (b: only engine in BMW M5; no sales data, so no per-car score) | 0 | not enough videos | engine, electrical, transmission & drivetrain |
| 2021 | BMW M5 M5, M5 Competition BMW X5 X5 M, X5 M Competition BMW X6 X6 M, X6 M Competition | 3 complaints (b: only engine in BMW M5; no sales data, so no per-car score) | 0 | not enough videos | lights, electrical, fuel system |
| 2022 | BMW M5 M5, M5 Competition BMW X5 X5 M, X5 M Competition BMW X6 X6 M, X6 M Competition | all engines combined: BMW M5 1 complaints; BMW X5 Index 46; BMW X6 5 complaints | 0 | not enough videos | — |
| 2023 | BMW M5 M5, M5 Competition BMW X5 X5 M, X5 M Competition BMW X6 X6 M, X6 M Competition | 0 complaints (b: only engine in BMW M5; no sales data, so no per-car score) | 0 | not enough videos | — |
Every US version with this engine
| Model and version | Years | Power |
|---|---|---|
| BMW M5 M5 | 2013–16 | 553 hp · 502 lb-ft |
| BMW M5 M5 | 2018–23 | 591 hp · 553 lb-ft |
| BMW M5 M5 Competition | 2019–23 | 617 hp · 553 lb-ft |
| BMW X5 X5 xDriveM | 2010–12 | 547 hp · 502 lb-ft |
| BMW X5 X5 M | 2013 | 547 hp · 502 lb-ft |
| BMW X5 X5 M | 2015–18 | 567 hp · 553 lb-ft |
| BMW X5 X5 M | 2020–23 | 591 hp · 553 lb-ft |
| BMW X5 X5 M Competition | 2020–23 | 617 hp · 553 lb-ft |
| BMW X6 X6 xDriveM | 2010–12 | 547 hp · 502 lb-ft |
| BMW X6 X6 M | 2013–14 | 547 hp · 502 lb-ft |
| BMW X6 X6 M | 2015–19 | 567 hp · 553 lb-ft |
| BMW X6 X6 M | 2020–23 | 591 hp · 553 lb-ft |
| BMW X6 X6 M Competition | 2020–23 | 617 hp · 553 lb-ft |
Versions and years: EPA (fueleconomy.gov). Engine and power: Wikipedia, BMW S63 (BMW ratings; US figures can differ by a few hp).
Quick answers
What cars have the BMW S63 engine?
In the US: the M5, X5, X6, model years 2010–2023. See the version table for each one.
Is the S63 reliable?
We can't rate it yet: there's no YouTube owner study for it, and owner complaints are filed by car, not engine. It has no engine-related recall on record. The most owner complaints (about any part of the car) filed under version names that used this engine were for the 2013 (10). 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 S63 make?
BMW rated it at 547 to 617 hp in US versions, depending on the car and year.