BMW 735 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 13 consumer complaints across the 2 model years of the BMW 735 (1988–1991) that have at least 5 complaints. 1988 has the most, with 8. Across all years, the part named most often is vehicle speed control (3 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All 735 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 5 | — | 2 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
| 1988 | 8 | 202,000 | 2 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Vehicle speed control3 23%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)2 15%
- Steering2 15%
- Air bags2 15%
- Transmission and drivetrain1 7.7%
- Tires1 7.7%
- Seats1 7.7%
- Engine cooling1 7.7%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1988: “The contact owns a 1988 Bmw 735 I. The contact stated that all of the door locks would lock automatically, causing the contact to become trapped inside the vehicle. The contact mentioned that he was unable to unlock the doors manually. The vehicle was inspected and the contact was advised that the anti- theft system malfunctioned, causing the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 202,000 and the current mileage was 202,300. ## VIN passed ## Bmw 735i 1988 ##”
NHTSA complaint #10487355, filed 2012-12, 202,000 miles1991: “Consumer's finger got caught in window while throwing out a tooth pick. Window started rolling up without hand on the switch, causing injury to her index finger. Dealer notified, and informed consumer that this was a normal condition when it rained. Can NHTSA provide addtional information on this matter.”
NHTSA complaint #840977, filed 1999-06Other 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