What breaks most · 1993 to 2024 model years
BMW 740i problems by year
Owners have filed 129 safety complaints with NHTSA about the BMW 740i across model years 1993 to 2024. Three years stand out: 1993 for engine and cooling complaints, 2001 for suspension complaints and 2000 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 1996, 2013 and 2014.
- Years to check closely: 1993, 2001, 2000
- Fewest complaints: 1996, 2013, 2014
- Complaints on file
- 1291993 to 2024, all trims
- Worst year
- 199315 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 94 fires · 11 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 62kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 46Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 1 | 2 | Engine and cooling (6) | |
| 7 | 0 | 2 | Engine and cooling (4) | |
| 9 | 0 | 5 | Fuel system (3) | |
| 1 | 0 | 3 | Suspension (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 3 | Engine and cooling (2) | |
| 8 | 1 | 1 | Engine and cooling (3) | |
| 8 | 1 | 1 | Air bags (3) | |
| 12 | 1 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (3) | |
| 15 | 2 | 4 | Suspension (3) | |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | Visibility (1) | |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Air bags (1) | |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Unknown or other (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Engine (1) | |
| 12 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (3) | |
| 7 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (3) | |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | Engine (2) | |
| 4 | 1 | 1 | Visibility (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 2 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 2 | Lane departure system (1) | |
| 11 | 0 | 9 | Brakes (6) | |
| 3 | 0 | 5 | Stability control (1) |
What fails on the 1993 BMW 740i
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 40% |
6 | 1 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1993 BMW 740i |
| Seats | 20% |
3 | 1 | — |
| Air bags | 13% |
2 | 0 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 13% |
2 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1993 BMW 740i |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 13% |
2 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 1993 BMW 740i |
| Unknown or other | 7% |
1 | 0 | — |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 7% |
1 | 0 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1993 BMW 740i |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 7% |
1 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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The engine completely failed on my 1994 bmw 740i. I understand that this model year has a known problem related to the sulphur content in america gasoline. Please inform me or any recall or recourse i may be able to take regarding this matter. Demetrius brandon (505) 265-1130
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Smoke from engine and burning wires and electrical connectors at the plug to the engine cooling thermostat small fire extinguished with a small amount of water.
-
I just received an email giving me an update on consumer complaints. I own a 2000 bmw 740i and the reverse also went out on the transmission and i had to have it rebuilt. I believe that being "a top of the line automobile" the reverse should not be failing.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which BMW 740i years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1993, 2001, 2000 carry the most filings on the BMW 740i. The 1993 alone has 15 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common BMW 740i problem?
On the 1993 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 6 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do BMW 740i problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all BMW 740i complaints that include mileage is about 62,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.