BMW 740 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 31 consumer complaints across the 4 model years of the BMW 740 (1993–1998) that have at least 5 complaints. 1998 has the most, with 9. Across all years, the part named most often is engine cooling (8 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All 740 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 9 | 72,500 | 0 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
| 1997 | 8 | 131,000 | 0 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
| 1995 | 7 | 164,000 | 0 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
| 1993 | 7 | 113,000 | 1 | 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.
- Engine cooling8 28%
- Air bags5 17%
- Electrical system4 14%
- Transmission and drivetrain3 10%
- Other or unknown3 10%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)2 6.9%
- Suspension2 6.9%
- Body and structure2 6.9%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1995: “While driving my car 1995 740i Bmw started smoking from the glove box and the car dash light flashed and smoke came from the right side of the hood. I check and the wire hornest was on fire.”
NHTSA complaint #10456399, filed 2012-04, 230,000 miles1993: “After parking for 5 minutes or less the vehicle caught on fire under the hood. The local fire department arrived to extinguish the fire. Vehicle was towed to a salvage yard. An independent insurance investigator determined that the cause was an electrical circuit in the wiring harness.”
NHTSA complaint #10113750, filed 2005-03, 113,000 miles1998: “Dt: the consumer experienced problems with the steering. The steering locked up and the check engine light came on a few minutes later. The consumer went into another lane of traffic, but was able to get the vehicle to the side of the road. The steering wheel started going into a complete circle. The consumer has not contacted the dealer. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop. They checked the power steering system and didn't find a problem. They hooked the vehicle to diagnostic machine and it didn't show any codes. This happened on august 25, 2005. …”
NHTSA complaint #10135163, filed 2005-09, 88,000 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