BMW 7 Series Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 98 consumer complaints across the 6 model years of the BMW 7 Series (2003–2009) that have at least 5 complaints. 2006 has the most, with 29. Across all years, the part named most often is air bags (17 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All 7 Series model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 9 | 67,500 | 2 | 42 | — | Not enough data |
| 2008 | 11 | 86,500 | 1 | 56 | — | Not enough data |
| 2007 | 13 | 109,320 | 1 | 42 | — | Not enough data |
| 2006 | 29 | 77,547 | 2 | 30 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2004 | 28 | 54,500 | 4 | 33 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2003 | 8 | 100,858 | 2 | 26 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Air bags17 19%
- Transmission and drivetrain16 18%
- Brakes13 15%
- Electrical system10 11%
- Seats9 10%
- Fuel system9 10%
- Engine8 9.0%
- Body and structure7 7.9%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2008: “When driving the vehicle on a upward incline the vehicle would hesitate to accelerate and the transmission fault light would come on. I would stop the vehicle and restart the engine. It would only happen and I started to drive on a upward incline. Now the vehicle transmission default light remains on.”
NHTSA complaint #11113625, filed 2018-07, 185,000 miles2006: “While stopping, the brake pedal became extremely hard and went to the floor, just barely avoiding a catastrophe. This happened with no warning whatsoever, and this could have been a multiple death accident. I contacted Bmw of na and they informed me that my VIN number was not included in the recall. I clearly should be, because I know I am not the only one this problem.”
NHTSA complaint #10893399, filed 2016-08, 66,000 miles2007: “System airbag failure light came on inside the car when I was driving and remained on. Message stated that I needed to take it to the nearest Bmw dealership. I took the car to my mechanic who diagnosed the problem being the front seat occupant mat and was told by my mechanic that this has been a big problem with Bmw and certain models of there cars and I should check into a possible recall in this.”
NHTSA complaint #10734996, filed 2015-07, 108,640 milesOther BMW models
3,165 complaintsBMW 328I
2,576 complaintsBMW X3
2,016 complaintsBMW 325I
1,377 complaintsBMW Z4
1,271 complaintsBMW 3 Series
832 complaintsBMW 528I
830 complaintsBMW 330I
813 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology