Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1999 BMW 7 Series, most frequently naming the airbags, body & structure and brakes categories. 17 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 2 months of data.
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BMW 7 SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKES WERE HESITANT TO ENGAGE AND ABNORMALLY VIBRATING WHEN DECELERATING. THERE WAS ALSO A WATER LEAK IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.
THE AIR BAG(S) IN MY VEHICLE DID NOT DEPLOY DURING A COLLISION. THE COLLISION WAS AN OFF-CENTER FRONT-END AT A SPEED ESTIMATED TO BE AROUND 20 M.P.H. OR GREATER. THE VEHICLE IS A 1999 BMW 740IA. I BELIEVE THE AIR BAG(S) TO BE DEFECTIVE AND DID NOT PROPERLY PROTECT ME.
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE; LANE DEPARTURE; VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Various functions of the camera-based driver assistance systems (ADCAM system) can lead to customer complaints.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
SERVICE ACTION: PROGRAM DME: The incorrect dataset could be programmed into DME 5.2.1 control module.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BMW: THE HIGH-VOLTAGE (HV) BATTERY CELLS COULD BE DAMAGED IF THE VEHICLE IS PREVENTED FROM ENTERING SLEEP MODE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. UPDATED 03/11/2013 *JS
INTERIOR LIGHTING; VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS; VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
BMW: WIPERS LIGHTS AND FRONT POWER WINDOWS ARE INOPERATIVE. THIS SITUATION MAY START AND LEAD TO A PERMANENT FAULT. ALSO INCLUDED MODEL F07 (5 SERIES GRAN TURISMO) MODEL YEARS UP TO MARCH 2012. *JS
AIR BAGS
BMW SERVICE CAMPAIGN: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. THE AIRBAG WARNING LAMP (AWL) IS ILLUMINATED, TOGETHER WITH THE PASSENGER AIRBAG STATUS LAMP (POL). THE PROBLEM MAY BE INTERMITTENT. MICROCRACKS IN THE OC3 SEAT MAT. *PE UPDATED 9/30/11. *PE
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 9 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 55.6 |
| 2007 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 43.0 |
| 2006 | 29 | 3 | 4 | 50.8 |
| 2005 | 4 | 1 | 2 | — |
| 2004 | 28 | 4 | 3 | 53.8 |
| 2003 | 8 | 2 | 2 | — |
| 2002 | 4 | 1 | 2 | — |
| 2001 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2000 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1999Viewing | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1998 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1997 | 2 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1996 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1994 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1993 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1992 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1991 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1990 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1989 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1988 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1987 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1986 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1985 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.