Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Complaints on fileComplaints 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.
8
Latest Feb 21, 2012
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.
1
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Jun 4, 1998
What this page shows
Our database holds 8 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 BMW 740I. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaints, most recent first
Showing 1–8 of 8
BrakesElectricalEngine+1 more
Filed Feb 21, 2012
I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN 2002 AT 96K MILES IT HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS, SINCE BUYING VEHICLE, I HAVE HAD WATER PUMP FAILURE TWICE, REPLACED RADIATOR TWICE , HOSES & RINGS..TWO BATTERY'S FRONT BUMPER, CATALYTIC CONVERTOR L. BAY, CHANGED.. BRAKES & ROTORS CHANGED NOV. 11...... 3 WEEKS LATER AS I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK .. I GOT A TRANSMISSION FAILURE.. AND THE CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.. THE CAR GOES IN REVERSE BUT NOT FORWARD.. I HAVE ONLY DRIVEN THIS CAR 15 -16K MILES SINCE OWNING THE VEHICLE I HAVE HAD ALL THESE CHRONIC REPAIRS.. I'M DISTRAUGHT THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN IN A SERIOUS CAR CRASH..NOT SURE WHAT TO DO?.. BUT ACCRD.. TO MANY BMW OWNERS I FIND ON THE NET THERE IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM W/ TRANSMISSION FAILURE BMW SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.. IT IS DANGEROUS AND UNSAFE FOR DRIVERS THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME INVESTIGATION IN REGARDS TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE .. *TR
NHTSA ID
10448791
Incident
Nov 25, 2010
Mileage
111 mi
Visibility
Filed Jan 24, 2011
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BMW 740I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INNERLINE OF THE FOUR DOORS HAD BECOME DISCOLORED AND WAS OBSCURING HER VISION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO THE DEALER AND THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE DISCOLORATION WAS CAUSED BY THE MATERIAL THEY USED TO HELP AGAINST THE WINDOW BEING SHATTERED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.
NHTSA ID
10378478
Incident
Jan 24, 2009
Mileage
75,000 mi
ElectricalEngine
Filed Nov 28, 2003
ENGINE FAILED ENTIRELY, WHILE PASSING A VEHICLE. DRIVER ABLE TO RETAIN ENOUGH CONTROL TO BRING CAR TO HALT SAFELY ON SHOULDER. CAR TOWED TO TECHNICIANS. UPON INSPECTION, A HOLE WAS FOUND IN A CYLINDER, CAUSING COMPLETE ENGINE FAIURE TECHNICIANS INDICATE THAT ELECTRONIC FIRING FAILED, CAUSING A HOLE TO BE BURNED IN THE WALL OF CYLINDER! ENGINE A COMPLETE LOSS. QUITE LUCKY NO ONE WAS KILLED IN THIS ACCIDENT WAITING TO BECOME A CATASTROPHE!*AK
NHTSA ID
10047708
Incident
Nov 10, 2003
Mileage
98,500 mi
Airbags
Filed Jun 14, 2000
Crash reported1 injury reported
AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DESPITE DIRECT HIT TO DRIVERS SIDE DOOR AT SIGNIFICANT SPEED WHEN THEY SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. WE WANT TO OBTAIN AN INDEPENDENT APPRAISAL OF THIS SINCE THE MANUFACTURER CLAIMS (AND WE DISPUTE) THAT THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED. *AK
NHTSA ID
724019
Incident
May 30, 2000
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 5, 1999
UPON STARTING VEHICLE AND SHIFTING INTO REVERSE GEAR, ENGINE REVVED HIGH/VEHICLE MOVED BACKWARDS, BRAKES WERE APPLIED TO STOP VEHICLE, WHEN PUT INTO NEUTRAL ENGINE REVVED TO 6000-7000 RPMS. VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF/RESTARTED, PROBLEM WAS GONE.
NHTSA ID
544807
Incident
Mar 9, 1999
Filed Feb 1, 1999
CUP HOLDER FAILED. *YC
NHTSA ID
607442
Incident
Aug 1, 1998
Visibility
Filed Feb 1, 1999
WINDOW SHADE FAILED. *YC
NHTSA ID
607291
Incident
Jun 1, 1998
Engine
Filed Jun 4, 1998
VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN WITHOUT WARNING, ALL COMPONENTS FAIL INCLUDING STEERING.
NHTSA ID
536645
Incident
Apr 9, 1998
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.