Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
15–18 mpgcombined; city 13–15, highway 19–23; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$22,360–$26,830U.S. average; Ohio $21,070–$25,280 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA about the 2007 6 Series. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Electrical system
2
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2007 6 Series over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 5-SERIES, MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 6-SERIES, MODEL YEAR 2006-2010 M5, AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2010 M6 VEHICLES. THE INSULATED BULKHEAD CONNECTOR FOR THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY ATTACHED TO THE TRUNK FLOOR PANEL, WHICH CAN LEAD TO A LOOSENING OF THE BOLT CONNECTION. AS IT LOOSENS, AN INCREASE IN ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE AT THIS CABLE CONNECTION IS POSSIBLE AND COULD CAUSE THE CABLE CONNECTION TO OVERHEAT.
Risk: OVERHEATING COULD LEAD TO A FIRE, EVEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS NOT IN USE. AS A PRECAUTION, OWNERS ARE ADVISED TO PARK OUTSIDE UNTIL THE REMEDY HAS BEEN MADE.
Remedy: BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND SECURE THE BATTERY BOLT CABLE CONNECTION AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 30, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SERVICES AT 1-800-525-7417.
BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 5-SERIES, 6-SERIES, AND MODEL YEAR 2002-2008 7-SERIES VEHICLES. A CHECK VALVE OF THE BRAKE VACUUM PUMP MAY LEAK A SMALL AMOUNT OF LUBRICATING OIL. OVER TIME THIS COULD RESULT IN CONTAMINATION OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER.
Risk: POWER ASSIST BRAKING PERFORMANCE COULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED. IN EXTREME CASES THERE COULD BE A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ASSIST BRAKING. AN UNEXPECTED REDUCTION OR LOSS IN POWER BRAKING ASSIST MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 24, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-525-7417.
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, 'OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.' THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT HAS A SENSING SYSTEM TO DETECT IF THE SEAT IS OCCUPIED. THIS SENSING IS PROGRAMMED TO DETECT IF THE SEAT IS OCCUPIED BY A SMALL ADULT OR CERTAIN CHILD RESTRAINT SEATS. PLACING CERTAIN CHILD SEATS ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT IS DESIGNED TO RESULT IN THE AUTOMATIC DEACTIVATION OF THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER'S AIR BAG.
Risk: IN SOME CASES, THE SENSING SYSTEM MAY MISINTERPRET A PROPERLY SEATED SMALL ADULT AS ONE OF THESE SPECIFIC CHILD SEATS, RESULTING IN DEACTIVATION OF THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG WHEN THE AIR BAG MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE ADULT, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY IN A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 21, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 29 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2007 6 Series, the latest on Jan 16, 2024. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (8), power train (7), engine and engine cooling (5), exterior lighting (3), fuel system (3).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2007 6 Series.
EPA class: subcompact cars. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
650ci Rear-Wheel Drive
4.8 L, 8 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
15 / 22 / 18
650ci Rear-Wheel Drive
4.8 L, 8 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Premium Gasoline
15 / 23 / 18
650ci Rear-Wheel Drive
4.8 L, 8 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Premium Gasoline
14 / 20 / 16
650ci Rear-Wheel Drive
4.8 L, 8 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
14 / 21 / 16
650ci Rear-Wheel Drive
4.8 L, 8 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Premium Gasoline
13 / 19 / 15
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data