Problems · NHTSA complaints
1996 BMW 7 Series problems
Owners filed 13 complaints about the 1996 BMW 7 Series with NHTSA between Jan 1997 and Mar 2014. The most-cited component is fuel system, gasoline (3).
Complaints
13
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Fuel system, gasoline3
- Vehicle speed control3
- Service brakes, hydraulic3
- Engine and engine cooling2
- Latches/locks/linkages2
- Engine1
- Air bags1
- Suspension1
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
1
1
1
3
2
1
0
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 1 |
| 1998 | 1 |
| 1999 | 1 |
| 2000 | 3 |
| 2001 | 2 |
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 0 |
| 2004 | 0 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Fuel system, gasoline
3 reports1 related recall
“THE GAS TANK STARTED TO MAKE POPPING NOISES AND THUMPING SOUNDS. THEN WHEN I REALIZED SOMETHING IS WRONG WHEN THE GAS GAUGE STARTED READING 1/4 TANK WHEN IT WAS EMPTY, STRANGELY WHEN I WAS FILLING UP WITH GAS THE CAP WAS HARD TO REMOVE AND AS SOON AS I REMOVED THE CAP AIR WAS RUSHING IN. I RAN OUT OF GAS ON THE INTERSTATE WITHOUT ANY WARNING MANAGED TO GET THE CAR ON THE SHOULDER. LATER ON THE WAY TO WORK I STARTED SMELLING A STRONG GAS ODOR I ASSUMED IT WAS THE CARS SURROUNDING ME. WHEN I WENT ON MY LUNCH BREAK MY COWORKERS INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A LARGE PUDDLE OF GAS UNDER MY CAR, WHEN I GOT BACK TO WORK I STARTED TO INVESTIGATE WHAT HAPPENED AND MY TANK WAS IMPLODED AND DEVELOPED LEAKS AROUND THE SEAMS. I FIND THIS A MAJOR CONCERN SINCE THIS IS RIGHT NEXT TO A HOT EXHAUST SYSTEM AND MAY CAUSE A FIRE DUE TO POOR GAS TANK VENTILATION. I'M LUCKY THAT MY CAR DIDN'T CATCH ON FIRE DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF GAS I LOST AND NOTICED LEAKING ON THE SEAMS THAT ARE EXTREMELY CLOSE TO THE EXHAUST. *TR”
Vehicle speed control
3 reports1 crash
“ANYTIME YOU ARE ACCELERATING THE THROTTLE CABLE WILL EITHER GET STUCK OR IF YOU LET OFF THE GAS PEDAL ITS WILL CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE. THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY UPON ENTERING THE HIGHWAY. THIS OCCURRED PRETTY REGULARLY UNTIL WE HAD THE THROTTLE CABLE REPLACED. *TR”
Service brakes, hydraulic
3 reports1 crash
“BRAKE WARNING LIGHT SWITCH FAILED, ALLOWING THE SWITCH TO REMAIN IN THE BRAKE LIGHT OFF POSITION OR IN THE BRAKE LIGHT ON POSITION. ALSO, WHEN TURNING VEHICLE OFF, THE WARNING BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON. *AK”
Engine and engine cooling
2 reports
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 BMW 740IL. WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND EXIT THE VEHICLE. AS SHE TURNED THE KEY AND REMOVED IT FROM THE IGNITION, THE ENGINE REMAINED RUNNING AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. SHE HAD TO REMOVE THE ENGINE FUSES FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND DISCONNECT THE BATTERY IN ORDER TO SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. AFTERWARDS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC INSTALLED A NEW CYLINDER AND HOUSING. THREE WEEKS AFTER THE REPAIRS, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER, WHO IS NOT TAKING ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY STILL AT THE DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 203,000.”
Latches/locks/linkages
2 reports
“HOOD CAME CRASHING UP AGAINST WINDSHIELD WHILE DRIVING ON FREEEWAY. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A CRASH DEALER FOUND THAT THE SAFETY HOLD DOWN PIN ON THE LEFT SIDE HOOD LOCK WAS MISSING, DEALER REPLACED THE HOOD LOCK ASSEMBLY. *AK *SLC”
Engine
1 report
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.