What breaks most · 1993 to 2001 model years
BMW 740iL problems by year
Owners have filed 131 safety complaints with NHTSA about the BMW 740iL across model years 1993 to 2001. Three years stand out: 1998 for engine and cooling complaints, 2001 for air bags complaints and 2000 for tires complaints. The quietest years are 1994, 1993 and 1996.
- Years to check closely: 1998, 2001, 2000
- Fewest complaints: 1994, 1993, 1996
- Complaints on file
- 1311993 to 2001, all trims
- Worst year
- 199826 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 54 fires · 7 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 97kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 16Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 2 | 1 | Engine and cooling (4) | |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | Engine and cooling (2) | |
| 12 | 0 | 4 | Engine and cooling (4) | |
| 11 | 1 | 2 | Speed control and throttle (3) | |
| 19 | 1 | 2 | Suspension (6) | |
| 26 | 0 | 1 | Engine and cooling (7) | |
| 6 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 20 | 0 | 2 | Tires (4) | |
| 25 | 1 | 2 | Air bags (5) |
What fails on the 1998 BMW 740iL
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 27% |
7 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1998 BMW 740iL |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 23% |
6 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1998 BMW 740iL |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 23% |
6 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 1998 BMW 740iL |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 15% |
4 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 12% |
3 | 0 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1998 BMW 740iL |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 8% |
2 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 1998 BMW 740iL |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 8% |
2 | 0 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 8% |
2 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 1998 BMW 740iL |
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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No warning other than a slight anit-freeze smell. Upon checking out the odor, upper radiator neck between hose clamp and radiator just broke off spewing scalding hot fluid everywhere. Luckily hood was not completely open at the time. Radiator needed to be replaced, not repairable. Old part tossed.
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5 times failure to start the car and needed 5 return visits for the same problem,2 new batteries,and continue the same problem.now my faith has been shaken with this car,i cannot rely on it,bought as new 2001 bmw 740il,5000 miles only,it is a substantial impairment to my line of work.*ak
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I own a 2000 bmw 740il and the reverse went out on the transmission. As i researched this issue i found that it is a common problem and known issue to bmw. I have kept the recommended maintenance and want to lodge a complaint as i believe this to be a recall issue.
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 30, 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 740iL years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1998, 2001, 2000 carry the most filings on the BMW 740iL. The 1998 alone has 26 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common BMW 740iL problem?
On the 1998 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 7 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do BMW 740iL problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all BMW 740iL complaints that include mileage is about 97,000 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.