RoadVitals

1998 BMW 740ILA

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.
3
Latest Feb 20, 2008
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.
1
Latest Jun 22, 1998
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.
0
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

Overview

Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 BMW 740ILA, most frequently naming the electrical, fuel system and transmission categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 3 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

  • Electrical133.3%
  • Fuel system133.3%
  • Transmission133.3%

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

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
98V142000

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT

Jun 22, 1998
1,100 units potentially affected
The defect: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE DIFFERENTIAL PINION SHAFT WITHIN THE DIFFERENTIAL CASE ASSEMBLY WAS PRODUCED WITHOUT THE APPROPRIATE SURFACE HARDENING. THIS CAN RESULT IN THE SHAFT EXPERIENCING PREMATURE WEAR.
The risk: THIS CONDITION WILL CAUSE A NOISE FROM THE DIFFERENTIAL AND, ULTIMATELY, FAILURE OF THE SHAFT AND LOSS OF DRIVE.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ENTIRE DIFFERENTIAL ASSEMBLY.
BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKEView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

ElectricalFuel system
Filed Feb 20, 2008
Fire reported

MY CAR STUMBLED LESS THAN A MILE FROM MY HOUSE. A FEW HUNDRED FEET LATER IT STALLED COMPLETELY. AT FIRST THE GARAGE THOUGHT IT WAS A FAILED FUEL PUMP. AFTER REPLACING THE PUMP, THE CAR STUMBLED AGAIN AND THE ECU (ENGINE COMPUTER) CAUGHT FIRE. AFTER TOWING THE CAR TO A SECOND GARAGE THEY FOUND A BAD GROUND ON THE HARNESS COMING OFF OF THE THERMOSTAT THAT CAUSED THE FUEL PUMP TO FAIL AS WELL AS THE ECU FIRE. THEY ALSO FOUND THAT THE EGS (TRANSMISSION COMPUTER) HAD BEEN DESTROYED BY THIS BAD GROUND ALSO. TOTAL REPAIR BILL FOR THIS FAILURE, ~$4500. *TR

NHTSA ID
10218612
Incident
Feb 14, 2004
Mileage
103,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jul 24, 2007

TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS - 1998 740IL. I BOUGHT A CPO BMW 740IL WITH 35,000 MILES. NOW I HAVE 65,600 MILES ON THE CAR AND I TOO AM HAVING ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION. WHILE THE CAR WAS UNDER CPO WARRANTY, I HAD TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHEN I WAS GETTING A CHECK TRANS MESSAGE, WHICH I HAVE SERVICE RECORDS FOR. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ERROR, SAYING THAT THEY COULD NOT READ THE CODE ON THE COMPUTER. WELL NOW THE TRANSMISSION WON\'T GO IN PARK OR REVERSE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THE CAR IS OUT OF CP WARRANTY. DAMAGE RESULTING = LOOKS LIKE I HAVE TO PAY $7,000 FOR A TRANSMISSION THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY, AS THE WARRANTY ON THE CAR HAS EXPIRED. THE CAR IS NOT WORTH MORE THAN $12,000 NOW. *TR

NHTSA ID
10197337
Incident
Jul 24, 2007
Mileage
65,630 mi
Filed Jun 16, 1998

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN AND EVERYTHING LOCK UPS - STEERING INCLUDED.

NHTSA ID
536933
Incident
Jun 4, 1998

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.

121999

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

INFORMATION ON PROGRAMMING ME7.2 ENGINE CONTROL MODULES WITH CD 18. *TT

651998

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.

SUBJECT PERTAINING TO DSP AMPLIFIER SWITCHING TO

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 740ILA by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2001120—
1999020—
1998Viewing310—
1995010—
1994110—
1993010—
1992010—
1991010—
1990010—
1989010—
1988110—

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.