2016 BMW 6 Series
The 2016 BMW 6 Series is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact sedan with 13 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the 640i Coupe, is EPA-rated at 24 mpg combined. NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year so far (Safety Signal A). Owners have filed 1 complaint, most often about the structure.
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Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 640i Coupe | Gas | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 20 | 30 | 24 | $3,400 |
| 640i Convertible | Gas | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 20 | 30 | 23 | $3,550 |
| 640i Gran Coupe | Gas | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 20 | 30 | 23 | $3,550 |
| 640i xDrive Convertible | Gas | AWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 20 | 29 | 23 | $3,550 |
| 640i xDrive Coupe | Gas | AWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 20 | 29 | 23 | $3,550 |
| 640i xDrive Gran Coupe | Gas | AWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 20 | 29 | 23 | $3,550 |
| 650i Convertible | Gas | RWD | 4.4L 8-cyl turbo | 17 | 25 | 20 | $4,100 |
| 650i Coupe | Gas | RWD | 4.4L 8-cyl turbo | 17 | 25 | 20 | $4,100 |
| 650i Gran Coupe | Gas | RWD | 4.4L 8-cyl turbo | 17 | 25 | 20 | $4,100 |
| 650i xDrive Coupe | Gas | AWD | 4.4L 8-cyl turbo | 16 | 24 | 19 | $4,350 |
| 650i xDrive Convertible | Gas | AWD | 4.4L 8-cyl turbo | 15 | 24 | 18 | $4,550 |
| 650i xDrive Gran Coupe | Gas | AWD | 4.4L 8-cyl turbo | 15 | 24 | 18 | $4,550 |
| Alpina B6 Gran Coupe xDrive | Gas | AWD | 4.4L 8-cyl turbo | 15 | 24 | 18 | $4,550 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36065, 36076, 36085, 36078, 36077, 36086, 36111, 36110, 36112, 36079.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 640i Convertible, 640i Coupe, 640i Gran Coupe, 640i xDrive Convertible, 640i xDrive Coupe, 640i xDrive Gran Coupe, 650i Convertible, 650i Coupe, 650i Gran Coupe, 650i xDrive Convertible, 650i xDrive Coupe, 650i xDrive Gran Coupe, Alpina B6 Gran Coupe xDrive | 5–6 / 10 | Bin 5 / LEV-II ULEV | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
Source: NHTSA vPICDimensions Exterior
| Body style | Sedan/Saloon |
| Doors | 4 |
| GVWR class | Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less) |
Engine Basics
| Cylinders | 6 |
| Displacement | 3 L |
Engine Output
| Horsepower | 315 hp |
Fuel Economy
| Fuel | Gasoline |
Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes one configuration rather than every trim (seen: GC). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.
Dimensions & weight
Source: Transport Canada| Length | 192.5–197.2 in |
| Width (body, without mirrors) | 74.4 in |
| Height | 53.9–54.7 in |
| Wheelbase | 112.6–116.9 in |
| Track, front | 63.0 in |
| Track, rear | 65.7 in |
| Curb weight | 4,365–4,650 lb |
| Weight distribution, front/rear | 52/48 to 54/46 |
Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 4 configurations: 650I xDrive 2-door Coupe AWD, Cabriolet 650I xDrive 2-door Conv AWD, Gran Coupe 640I xDrive 4-door Sedan, Gran Coupe 650I xDrive 4-door Sedan. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2016 BMW 6 Series is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
What to check before you buy →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (0)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseNo NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2016 BMW 6 Series. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them.
These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
NHTSA defect investigations
Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module — Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture open
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf. Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a subst
Opened Sep 17, 2021 · action EA21002 · the investigation’s page →
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2016 BMW 6 Series, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2016 BMW 6 Series
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Find parts for this 6 Series →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database0 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported
Filed per year: 2022: 1
Most-cited components
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
The dashboard has pulled away from the windshield and is rippling. If it continues it will obstruct my view. I think it would affect the airbags as well. I've seen another 640 with this same problem at the store. I am available for inspection, I also attached BMWs invoice to show it was diagnosed. No warning lamps.
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Reported by BMW itself: 4 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 4 injured, as claimed, not verified. Every 6 Series model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAPNHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications- 15 years or 150,000 miles · BMW bulletin B011423Pressure control valve (PCV) extended LTD WTY 15 YEARS/150,000 miles
The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every BMW warranty extension (46) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →
Most often about: Equipment, Electrical System, Engine, Equipment Adaptive/Mobility, Fuel/Propulsion System.
- B010122 Service bulletin2026-01-21 · Engine
- N63TU1 CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT SVC CAMPAIGN: OIL CONSUMPTION DIAGNOSIS/REPAIR
- B510819 Service bulletin2024-01-16 · Electrical System
- The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
- B611305 Service bulletin2024-01-11 · Electrical System
- The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle “discharged battery” complaints.
- B011423 Service bulletin2023-11-13 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- PRESSURE CONTROL VALVE (PCV) EXTENDED LTD WTY 15 YEARS/150,000 MILES
- B340914 Service bulletin2023-06-01 · Wheels
- The Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) warning light comes on while driving. The following DSC fault codes for the wheel speed sensors are stored: 480712 and/or 480715 and/or 480718 and/or 48071B They cannot be cleared, even though the wheel speed sensors work correctly and no problem can be found with the wiring harness.
- B651523 Service bulletin2023-05-01 · Electrical System
- After programming the head unit (HU-H2), activating the FSC (German word Freischaltcode) Enabling Codes repeatedly fails.
- B010122 Service bulletin2023-05-01 · Equipment — Other — Owners/Service/Other Manual
- With the court's FINAL approval, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) has entered into a nationwide settlement with the plaintiffs in the following class action: Isley, et al. v. Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft and BMW of North America, LLC. The Settlement Benefits are effective and available on and after February 9, 2022. Note: This bulletin is a notice of a Class Action Settlement Se
- B840822 Service bulletin2023-03-01 · Equipment
- The 3G network in the US has been shut down. This means that only the 4G network will be available. In the 4G network, voice calls will be transferred via the Voice over LTE (VoLTE) function. For this purpose, the SIM card must perform an IMS registration in the mobile communication network. Due to a production error, the telematics control units were delivered without an IMS configuration. The Co
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
6 Series by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2016 6 Series
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2016 BMW 6 Series have any recalls?
No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2016 BMW 6 Series. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them, and a clean sheet on a recent model year often just means the vehicle is new.
How safe is the 2016 BMW 6 Series?
NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2016 BMW 6 Series yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it A (100/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2016 BMW 6 Series?
Across the 13 EPA-rated configurations of the 2016 BMW 6 Series, the best EPA combined figure is 24 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What are the dimensions of the 2016 BMW 6 Series?
Transport Canada measured it at 192.5–197.2 in long, 74.4 in wide (body, without mirrors), 53.9–54.7 in tall, on a 112.6–116.9 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 4,365–4,650 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.
What do owners complain about on the 2016 BMW 6 Series?
Owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA about the 2016 BMW 6 Series, most often about structure, visibility/wiper. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2016 BMW 6 Series?
The EPA smog rating for the 2016 BMW 6 Series runs 5 to 6 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — Bin 5, LEV-II ULEV — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2016 BMW 6 Series?
The manufacturer has filed 432 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2016 BMW 6 Series, most often covering equipment, electrical system, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-01-21. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 13 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 13 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | none | NHTSA recall campaigns | No campaign has been filed. Because the register is complete, an empty row here means there is nothing to find — not that we are missing it. |
| Owner complaints | 1 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | none | NHTSA NCAP | NHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe. |
| Service bulletins | 432 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | 1 | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | 7 fields | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder. |
| Measured dimensions | 7 fields | Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications | Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | none | Manufacturer press kit | We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind. |
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.