BMW 740IL Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 129 consumer complaints across the 8 model years of the BMW 740IL (1993–2001) that have at least 5 complaints. 2001 has the most, with 26. Across all years, the part named most often is engine cooling (29 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All 740IL 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 26 | 100,000 | 3 | 8 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2000 | 20 | 75,000 | 1 | 8 | — | Stable |
| 1999 | 6 | 85,002 | 0 | 4 | — | Not enough data |
| 1998 | 26 | 106,934 | 0 | 4 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1997 | 19 | 72,000 | 1 | 4 | — | Stable |
| 1996 | 11 | 156,000 | 1 | 3 | — | Not enough data |
| 1995 | 12 | 155,000 | 3 | 3 | — | Not enough data |
| 1993 | 9 | — | 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 cooling29 24%
- Electrical system18 15%
- Fuel system17 14%
- Transmission and drivetrain13 11%
- Brakes12 10%
- Air bags11 9.2%
- Vehicle speed control10 8.4%
- Suspension9 7.6%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2001: “Start the car power steering froze, I have shut off the car and restart it fix the problem or I have to repeat. Sometime while driving steering freeze. I had hoses leak, replaced hoses still have more leaks. While driving car unstable, I changed tires problem remain the same. I checked all suspension components and all in good condition.”
NHTSA complaint #10823642, filed 2016-02, 84,000 miles2000: “I have a 2000 Bmw 740IL that is very hard to read from the dash board or the instrument panel. I cannot read the exact mileage on the car, outside temperature or any other information that comes to the screen behind the steering wheel. I would like to have this fix since it is a safety hazard. Any idea of what to do from this point will be of great help.”
NHTSA complaint #10370725, filed 2010-12, 97,000 miles1996: “The gas tank started to make popping noises and thumping sounds. Then when I realized something is wrong when the gas gauge started reading 1/4 tank when it was empty, strangely when I was filling up with gas the cap was hard to remove and as soon as I removed the cap air was rushing in. I ran out of gas on the interstate without any warning managed to get the car on the shoulder. Later on the way to work I started smelling a strong gas odor I assumed it was the cars surrounding me. …”
NHTSA complaint #10567419, filed 2014-03, 133,000 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