Problems · NHTSA complaints
1998 BMW 7 Series problems
Owners filed 40 complaints about the 1998 BMW 7 Series with NHTSA between Jun 1998 and Apr 2015. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (10).
Complaints
40
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Engine and engine cooling10
- Electrical system7
- Fuel system, gasoline7
- Visibility6
- Power train5
- Vehicle speed control3
- Service brakes, hydraulic3
- Electronic stability control (esc)2
- Air bags2
- Fuel/propulsion system2
- Exterior lighting1
- Service brakes1
- Engine1
- Equipment1
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
4
2
0
3
3
2
3
2
1
3
2
5
3
2
0
0
4
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 1 |
| 1999 | 4 |
| 2000 | 2 |
| 2001 | 0 |
| 2002 | 3 |
| 2003 | 3 |
| 2004 | 2 |
| 2005 | 3 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 5 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 4 |
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
Engine and engine cooling
10 reports
“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”
Electrical system
7 reports
“THE DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK. ALL DOORS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE DRIVER DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK. IF YOU PULL ON ANY OF THE DOORS DOOR HANDLE TWICE FROM THE INSIDE IT SHOULD OPEN. ALL OF THIS HAPPEN WHEN THE ALARM ACTIVATED WITHOUT ANY REASON. ALARM STOPPED WORKING AND DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK. *TR”
Fuel system, gasoline
7 reports
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BMW 740IL. WHILE REFUELING HE NOTICED GAS WAS LEAKING FORM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. ONCE HE STOPPED PUMPING GAS IT STOPPED LEAKING. THIS FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER HE WOULD REFUEL THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE EXAMINED FOR THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. OVER TIME HE BEGAN TO HEAR A THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FUEL TANK WHILE DRIVING OR STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THERE WAS A SPLIT ON ONE OF THE SEEMS FOR THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO ANOTHER INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE FUEL TANK WAS REPAIRED. THE THUMPING FAILURE CONTINUED TO RECUR SO THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED. THE THUMPING FAILURE CONTINUES TO RECUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 178,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 180,000.”
Visibility
6 reports
“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.”
Power train
5 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BMW 740IL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK VIOLENTLY WHEN CHANGING GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A DEFECTIVE RING GEAR IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 99V005000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 180,000.”
Vehicle speed control
3 reports
“I WAS DRIVING MY BMW 740IL ON 2-17-2015 WHEN AFTER GETTING ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND ACCELERATING, THERE WAS A LOUD BOOM NOISE AND BLACK PIECES SHOT OUT ONTO THE ROAD IN FRONT OF ME. I IMMEDIATELY GOT OFF THE FIRST EXIT ONLY TO FIND THAT 1.) THE CAR WOULDN'T STOP AFTER I APPLIED THE BRAKES, AND 2.) THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE EVEN WHEN MY FOOT WAS OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I WENT THROUGH TWO INTERSECTIONS, UNABLE TO STOP, BEFORE TURNING INTO A BIG DRIVEWAY WHERE I SET THE SHIFTER INTO REVERSE, WHICH SLOWED THE CAR DOWN, AND THEN I PUT IT INTO PARK. STEAM WAS SHOOTING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND WHEN I CHECKED UNDERNEATH IT, I SAW THE BLADES OF THE FAN BEHIND THE RADIATOR HAD ALL BEEN STRIPPED OFF THE ROTOR WITH PIECES VIOLENTLY SCATTERED AROUND THE ENGINE AREA. ALSO, THE HOSE TO THE COOLANT RESERVOIR BECAME DETACHED AND THE HOOD RECEIVED TWO DENTS FROM THE INSIDE WHEN THE FAN EXPLODED. THE CAR HAS SINCE BEEN TOWED, AND REPAIRS HAVE NOT YET BEEN STARTED. THE WHOLE SITUATION WAS UNBELIEVABLE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN TIP-TOP SHAPE AND THERE WERE NO PREVIOUS SIGNS THAT ANYTHING WAS INHERENTLY WRONG. LUCKILY NOTHING HAPPENED BUT PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT…”
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.