2007 BMW 6 Series Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2007 BMW 6 Series, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical266.7%
- Engine133.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
ALL NEW BMW CARS SPEEDOMETER IS IN ERROR. BMW IS ADMITTING TO THIS ISSUE. PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION LETTER FROM BMW STATING AND DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM. GROUP 62 INSTRUMENTS B 62 02 96 WOODCLIFF LAKE, NJ PRODUCT ENGINEERING MAY 1996 SUBJECT: MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE SPEEDOMETER ERROR MODELS: ALL GENERAL INFORMATION: A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF "SPEEDOMETER ADVANCE" IS NECESSARY TO COMPENSATE FOR NEGATIVE TOLERANCES IN TIRE DIAMETER, ELECTRONIC CONTROLS, AND OTHER FACTORS. THIS ADVANCE REDUCES THE RISK OF THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYING A SPEED THAT IS LESS THAN THE VEHICLE'S ACTUAL SPEED. THE AMOUNT OF SPEEDOMETER ADVANCE CAN BE CALCULATED BY INPUTTING A FREQUENCY (USING THE DIS TESTER, "KOMBI TEST SCHEDULE") THAT CORRESPONDS TO A GIVEN SPEED AND NOTING THE SPEED THAT IS INDICATED BY THE SPEEDOMETER. THE MAXIMUM PERMITTED SPEEDOMETER ADVANCE IS 10% OF THE ACTUAL (INPUT) SPEED PLUS 2.4 MPH. EXAMPLE: ACTUAL SPEED = 50 MPH 50 MPH X 10% = 5 MPH; 5 MPH + 2.4 MPH = 7.4 MPH THEREFORE, THE PERMISSIBLE DISPLAYED SPEED IS 50 TO 57.4 MPH. (NOTE: THE DISPLAYED SPEED MUST NEVER BE LESS THAN THE ACTUAL SPEED). NO REPAIRS SHOULD BE ATTEMPTED IF THE SPEEDOMETER ADVANCE IS WITHIN 10% + 2.4 MPH. NOTE: THE AMOUNT OF SPEEDOMETER ADVANCE HAS NO EFFECT ON RECORDING OF ACCUMULATED MILEAGE IN THE ODOMETER DISPLAY. THE ODOMETER RECORDS TOTAL MILEAGE DIGITALLY AND DOES NOT INCORPORATE ANY "ADVANCE" TOLERANCES. WARRANTY STATUS: INFORMATION ONLY. *JB
THE 2007 BMW 328XI COUPE'S "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT COMES ON ALL THE TIME, AND THE ELECTRONIC ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK (NO MANUAL DIPSTICK IN THIS CAR) OFTEN REPORTS AN INCORRECT READING OF "ADD ENGINE OIL". THESE PROBLEMS ARE DANGEROUS AS THE ENGINE SERVICE LIGHT CAN INDICATE ANY OF A WEALTH OF DANGEROUS FAULTS, AND ADDING ENGINE OIL WHEN THE ENGINE IS FULL CAN CREATE A HAZARD OF SPLASHING AND/OR BURNING OF THE SKIN. IT SEEMS THAT THE ENGINE OIL IS ALMOST ALWAYS FULL DESPITE THE WARNING. NEVERTHELESS IT IS REASONABLE FOR AN OWNER TO WRONGFULLY ADD OIL AND THEREBY INJURE HIMSELF AS THE MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS INDICATE THAT ONE QUART OF OIL MAY NEED TO BE ADDED EVERY 750 MILES. MY CONVERSATIONS WITH BMW OWNERS IN SIMILAR POSITIONS INDICATE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS NOT ISOLATED BUT RATHER IS AN EPIDEMIC. WHEN THE CAR IS BROUGHT INTO THE BMW SERVICE DEPARTMENT ALL THEY DO IS CHANGE THE OIL AND RESET THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE BMW TECHNICIAN THAT BMW IS AWARE OF THESE PROBLEMS IN THIS MODEL, BUT THAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS ONLY AUTHORIZED TO TAKE THESE MEASURES AND NOT MAKE ANY REPAIRS. THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM(S) REAPPEAR IN PART OR IN WHOLE A FEW DAYS LATER. THIS RECURRENCE IS ALSO NOT AN ISOLATED CIRCUMSTANCE, BUT RATHER BORNE BY MANY OWNERS OF THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. NOT ONLY DOES THIS DEFECT RENDER THE VEHICLE DANGEROUS, IT ALSO SEVERELY LIMITS THE CONSUMER'S (MYSELF INCLUDED) USE. *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE 2007 BMW 328XI COUPE'S "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT COMES ON ALL THE TIME, AND THE ELECTRONIC ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK (NO MANUAL DIPSTICK IN THIS CAR) OFTEN REPORTS AN INCORRECT READING OF "ADD ENGINE OIL". THESE PROBLEMS ARE DANGEROUS AS THE ENGINE SERVICE LIGHT CAN INDICATE ANY OF A WEALTH OF DANGEROUS FAULTS, AND ADDING ENGINE OIL WHEN THE ENGINE IS FULL CAN CREATE A HAZARD OF SPLASHING AND/OR BURNING OF THE SKIN. IT SEEMS THAT THE ENGINE OIL IS ALMOST ALWAYS FULL DESPITE THE WARNING. NEVERTHELESS IT IS REASONABLE FOR AN OWNER TO WRONGFULLY ADD OIL AND THEREBY INJURE HIMSELF AS THE MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS INDICATE THAT ONE QUART OF OIL MAY NEED TO BE ADDED EVERY 750 MILES. MY CONVERSATIONS WITH BMW OWNERS IN SIMILAR POSITIONS INDICATE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS NOT ISOLATED BUT RATHER IS AN EPIDEMIC. WHEN THE CAR IS BROUGHT INTO THE BMW SERVICE DEPARTMENT ALL THEY DO IS CHANGE THE OIL AND RESET THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE BMW TECHNICIAN THAT BMW IS AWARE OF THESE PROBLEMS IN THIS MODEL, BUT THAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS ONLY AUTHORIZED TO TAKE THESE MEASURES AND NOT MAKE ANY REPAIRS. THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM(S) REAPPEAR IN PART OR IN WHOLE A FEW DAYS LATER. THIS RECURRENCE IS ALSO NOT AN ISOLATED CIRCUMSTANCE, BUT RATHER BORNE BY MANY OWNERS OF THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. NOT ONLY DOES THIS DEFECT RENDER THE VEHICLE DANGEROUS, IT ALSO SEVERELY LIMITS THE CONSUMER'S (MYSELF INCLUDED) USE. *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .