RoadVitals

1999 BMW E38

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

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.
0
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 no NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1999 BMW E38. 23 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.

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

No owner complaints recorded for this model year

Either none have been filed with NHTSA, or this vehicle is too new for reports to have accumulated.

Manufacturer communications

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

B000706

EQUIPMENT

When using the Key Reader to retrieve information from the customer’s key, the data is not updated or current.

B630516

EQUIPMENT; EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS; EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:CONCEALMENT DEVICES

Moisture is visible on the inside of one or both headlights

120903

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

A POTENTIAL PROBLEM THAT COULD AFFECT THE DURABILITY OF AIR MASS METER OF CERTAIN BMWS EQUIPPED WITH THE 4.4L ENGINE. VEHICLES AFFECTED WILL HAVE AN ILLUMINATED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND AN AIR MASS METER SIGNAL PLAUSIBILITY FAULT FC 73 STORED IN THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM/DME). BMW WILL EXTEND THE WARRANTY OF THE AIR MASS METER FROM 4 YEARS OR 50,000 MILES TO 7 YEARS OR 70,000 MILES. *TT

230702

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

SUBJECT REGARDING INTERMITTENT ACCELERATOR PEDAL FEEL PROBLEM - REVISED WITH SIMPLIFIED ORDERING PROCEDURE FOR CERTAIN MODELS INCLUDING E65/E66 SINCE SERIES INTRODUCTION UP TO 06/02. *TT

350102

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

SUBJECT REGARDING INTERMITTENT ACCELERATOR PEDAL FEEL PROBLEM FOR CERTAIN MODELS ESPECIALLY THE E65/E66 MODELS. *TT

SIB350102

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

CUSTOMER MAY COMPLAIN OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FEELINGNOTCHY OR NOT MOVING SMOOTHLY WHEN DEPRESSED IN SMALL INCREMENTS ON CERTAIN MODELS INCLUDING E52, E53 AND E65/E66 VEHICLES FROM SERIES INTRODUCTION UP TO 06/02. *T

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 E38 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2001000
2000100
1999Viewing000
1998010
1997010
1996010
1995010

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.