RoadVitals

1999 BMW 740I Owner Complaints

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 Dec 15, 2015
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 Feb 13, 2003

What this page shows

Our database holds 8 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1999 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

Engine
Filed Dec 15, 2015

BMW E38 HAVE A HIGH TENDENCY FOR THE GUIDES FOR THE CAMSHAFT CHAIN (S) TO FRACTURE AND COME APART. THIS LEADS TO PLASTIC PIECES TO CAUSE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE, PLASTIC AND METAL SHAVINGS TO BE OBSERVED IN THE LOWER OIL PAN AS WELL AS JUMP IN TIMING FOR THE OWNER WHO HAS TO EITHER PAY$$$ OR JUNK THE CAR. THE SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST UTILIZED CARBON FIBER GUIDES. MANY OF THESE FAILURES OCCUR EVEN BEFORE 125K.. I FIND IT INCOMPREHENSIBLE THAT SOMEONE WHO PAYS 70K FOR THIS VEHICLE TO HAVE TO ENDURE SPENDING ANOTHER 5-6K TO GET THE CAR RUNNING AGAIN. JUST LOOK AT YOUTUBE.COM AND YOU WILL SEE WHAT I AM REFERRING TO. WISH I'D BOUGHT A USED FORD.

NHTSA ID
10810495
Incident
Nov 30, 2015
Airbags
Filed Jan 11, 2012

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK APPROXIMATELY 3AM IN THE MORNING AND I WAS GETTING CLOSE TO MY TURN AND I WAS SLOWING DOWN AND I HIT A POT HOLE.. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOY ALMOST CAUSE ME TO WRECK MY CAR... *TR

NHTSA ID
10443494
Incident
Jan 10, 2012
Mileage
130,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Nov 16, 2010

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BMW 740I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH SLIGHT PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE BRAKES MOMENTARILY LOCKED. THE AIR BAG LIGHT THEN BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE ON THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE FLUSHED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE HAS SINCE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 79,900.

NHTSA ID
10366431
Incident
Oct 1, 2010
Mileage
78,500 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Jun 26, 2007

KUHMO TIRES - ZRATED 235/50/18 TIRES ON 1999 BMW 740I - TIRES ONE MONTH OLD. LOW USAGE - SIDEWALL BLOW OUT WITH NO EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO SIDEWALL. DEFECT IN TIRE.*AK

NHTSA ID
10194218
Incident
Jun 2, 2007
Transmission
Filed Nov 23, 2005

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 99V005000 CONCERNING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THIS VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL, BUT IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. THE CONTACT WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT HIS OWN EXPENSE. ALSO, HE EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS PREVIOUSLY. THE DEALER REPAIRED A LEAK IN THE TRANSMISSION UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

NHTSA ID
10143533
Incident
Apr 30, 2004
BrakesElectrical
Filed Apr 8, 2003

TRACTION CONTROL, BRAKE AND ABS LIGHT ARE ALL INDICATING FAILURE. DEALER IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE. BRAKES APPEAR TO WORK OK BUT WARNING LIGHTS CAUSE CONCERN. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10014108
Incident
Mar 10, 2003
Mileage
36,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Feb 19, 2003

THE VEHICLE HIT A TREE, AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY.*JB

NHTSA ID
10008636
Airbags
Filed Feb 13, 2003
Crash reported

CONSUMER HIT A TREE, AND THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY.*JB

NHTSA ID
10007338

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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .