RoadVitals

2001 BMW 7 Series

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest Jul 13, 2013
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2001 BMW 7 Series, most frequently naming the engine and powertrain (other) categories. 29 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine150.0%
  • Powertrain (other)150.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

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.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Powertrain (other)
Filed Jul 13, 2013

I RECENTLY FILED A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA REGARDING THIS ISSUE WITH MY TRANSMISSION AND SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME RESEARCH. I AM REQUESTING THAT THE NHTSA DO SOME FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THEIR OWN REGARDING BMW'S FAILURE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES WITH THEIR TRANSMISSION. PLEASE REVIEW THE FOLLOWING LINKS TO SEE THE LIST OF TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. HTTP://WWW.NOREVERSE.ORG/COMPLAINTS_COPY(1).HTML HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/BMW_TRANS.HTML - (OVER 643 COMPLAINTS) THIS IS CLEARLY A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED EITHER LEGALLY OR THROUGH SOME SORT OF NEGOTIATION WITH BMW. *TR

NHTSA ID
10524645
Incident
Jan 15, 2013
Mileage
122,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jun 9, 2005

I NEED TO HAVE A NEW ENGINE PUT IN FOR MY 2001 740I BMW DUE TO A CRACKED RADIATOR WHICH LED TO THE DAMAGE OF THE ENGINE BEYOND REPAIR. THE CAR HAS 68,000 MILES ON IT. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT I WAS NOT INJURED AND I DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAY. I CONTACTED THE COMPANY EXPLAINING MY SITUATION. BMW REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEGE THAT THERE ARE SOME MAJOR DEFECTS WITH THE RADIATOR AND REFUSED TO HELP PAY FOR THE COST OF THE NEW ENGINE. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THE WEB AND HAVE FOUND THAT MANY BMW OWNERS ESPECIALLY BMW 7 SERIES MODEL HAVE GONE THROUGH THE SAME PROBLEM. THERE'S ALSO A PETITION CONCERNING MAJOR DEFECTS WITH ALL BMW 7 SERIES' RADIATOR. THE DEFECTS HAVE CAUSED THE COSUMERS COSTLY REPAIRS NOT TO MENTION DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS WHICH COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS INJURIES OR EVEN DEATHS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION! REGARDS, CHI TRUONG

NHTSA ID
10124860
Incident
Apr 30, 2005
Mileage
68 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

B510819

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.

B160623

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

Engine will crank but not start. There is no communication with the integrated fuel module (TFE) whendiagnosing with ISTA. The following two fault codes will be stored in the DME: 032B43 - Low fuel pressure system, electric fuel pump: pressure value too low CDA594 - Message (- 0x33E) missing, receiver DME, transmitter TFE

B653423

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT

Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle. Depending on the vehicle’s equipment and settings, no acoustic or optical confirmation (folding the mirrors/blinking confirmation) is noticeable. Additionally, the red anti-theft alarm LED in the interior mirror does not briefly flash every 2 seconds, indicating the alarm is armed.

B660523

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE; LANE DEPARTURE; VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Various functions of the camera-based driver assistance systems (ADCAM system) can lead to customer complaints.

SIB-61-37-12

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

B61-17-12

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

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.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

BMW 7 Series by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2012210—
2011310—
2010220—
2009920—
2008111255.6
2007132243.0
2006293450.8
2005412—
2004284353.8
2003822—
2002412—
2001Viewing200—
2000200—
1999200—
1998001—
1997201—
1996100—
1995200—
1994000—
1993000—
1992000—
1991000—
1990000—
1989000—
1988000—
1987000—
1986000—
1985000—

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.