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BMW 750LIModel year report

2008 BMW 750LI Problems

Compared with other BMW 750LI years

Fewer complaints than typical for this model

17/100 0.5× a typical year · 50 = typical

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
65filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
84,850miles, 55 complaints with mileage
Recalls
2campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
18 mpgcombined, 4.8L 8-cyl RWD · 15 city / 23 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2008 BMW 750LI (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owner complaints for this model year center on two themes: door latching on cars with the soft-close/Comfort Access doors, and transmission fault warnings that put the car into a reduced-power mode. Many reports come from cars well past 70,000 miles, though door and transmission complaints also appear in the 40,000-60,000 mile range. Electrical problems, including battery drain and start/stop button issues, and restraint-system warning lights make up most of the remainder.

  1. Latches, locks and linkages

    Doors that will not latch or open while driving

    • 26 complaints (40%)
    • median 90,100 mi at 8.5 yrs old (21 state mileage)
    • filed 2012–2026

    Owners describe doors on cars with the soft-close option that fail to latch, bounce back open, or open unexpectedly while the car is moving. Several say the door could not be closed again after the incident and had to be held shut while driving. Complaints describe dealers replacing the door lock or handle, and several mention being told the car was or was not covered by a door-latch recall. Reported from roughly 40,000 to 120,000 miles, with many reports between 50,000 and 95,000 miles; incidents occurred both while parked and at speeds of 15 to 73 mph.

    Recall 17V328000

    What to check: Open and close each door several times, including gently to test the soft-close function, and check whether the door latch recall work was performed. Ask for the repair history on door latches and lock actuators.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I own a 2008 Bmw 750LI with soft close doors. The passenger side front door will not close properly. The soft close does not work at all anymore and 9 times out of 10 the door will not close at all. I have to repeatedly try to close the door over and over and over. If this is the same problem as previous models, why is this not part of a recall.”

    NHTSA complaint #10606336, filed 2014-06, 86,984 miles

    “After dropping my daughter (who was sitting in the rear seat of my car) to her school in the morning, I was driving to work. I confirmed that all the doors were closed and latched after she exited the car. Just before reaching my work location, the driver side rear door unexpectedly opened while the vehicle was in motion. After stopping, the open door could not be closed or latched again. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11041493, filed 2017-10, 86,000 miles
  2. Transmission and drivetrain

    Transmission fault warning and reduced power

    • 15 complaints (23%)
    • median 79,500 mi at 8.2 yrs old (14 state mileage)
    • filed 2011–2019

    Owners report a transmission fault message advising them to drive moderately, sometimes accompanied by hard or delayed shifting, a car that will not accelerate past roughly 40 mph, or a shift into Park on its own. Restarting the engine sometimes cleared the warning temporarily. Complaints describe dealers resetting software, replacing the mechatronics unit, or recommending a full transmission replacement. Mostly reported between about 40,000 and 130,000 miles, appearing at highway and city speeds alike.

    Recall 12V502000

    What to check: Ask whether the transmission has been serviced or replaced and whether any fault codes were stored. A test drive should include steady acceleration to highway speed to check for hesitation or warning messages.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving and out of nowhere, my car started to slow down, and I received an warning light on my dash telling me I was having a transmission failure and drive moderately . I only have 88,900 miles on the car. This seems to be a manufacturing issue on 750 series models from 2005-2008. There should be a recall for this, as it's costly and very dangerous to drive with.”

    NHTSA complaint #11105101, filed 2018-07, 88,900 miles

    “The transmission fault drive moderately, drive to the nearest Bmw dealership is the message that I got when I was driving one day a few weeks ago, I have 77,000 miles and I had just had a tune up. Of course I took the care to Bmw immediately and found out that the power train was bad? The entire transmission had to be replaced to the tune of $7000, I knew there were some engine problems with some of the Bmw years but I didn't think 2008 should've had any problems as far as the transmission going out at 77,000?”

    NHTSA complaint #10949666, filed 2017-02, 77,000 miles
  3. Electrical system

    Starting, battery drain and stalling complaints

    Mentioned in 9 of 58 sampled complaints

    Owners report the start/stop button sometimes failing to start the car, key-disabled warnings, battery drain and repeated no-start conditions, and occasional stalling while driving. Complaints describe dealers replacing the CAS module or key fob, and in some cases the problem returned. Some owners connect these symptoms to the Comfort Access system. Reported across a wide mileage range, from around 50,000 to over 130,000 miles, and in some cases after cold starts or short trips.

    Recall 12V5020006 related service bulletins

    What to check: Start the car several times and check the battery age and condition. Ask whether the start/stop recall software update was applied and whether the CAS module or key has been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My 2008 Bmw 750LI is leaking oil they say its the pressure switch then they said it was the brake buster pump leaking. I know there has been a recall on this make and model Bmw but it do not come up under my viin number in the recall list of viin. The vehicle is now parked searching for true answers..”

    NHTSA complaint #10897946, filed 2016-08, 100,000 miles

    “I have a 2008 750 li Bmw 110,00 miles on it an I been haing problems with seat belt fault electrical parsitic draw in electrical system Bmw cant seem to fix these issues. I have spent thousand of dollars chasing these defects and safety issues. I read the complaints about the same issue others were having and nothing has been done to recall these vehicle in. Please respond to this because im lost for answers on why isnt this vehicle been recall for these problems. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11217679, filed 2019-06, 110,000 miles
  4. Air bags

    Airbag and seat-belt warning lights (seat sensor)

    • 9 complaints (14%)
    • median 87,500 mi at 8.1 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2012–2019

    Owners describe a restraint-system or airbag warning light appearing, often with a message that the passenger airbag has been disabled. Complaints attribute this to the seat occupancy mat or sensor and note dealers quoting around $1,200 or more to replace it. Several owners point out that similar sensor recalls covered earlier model years of this car. Reported from about 40,000 to 120,000 miles, often noticed at startup.

    What to check: With the key on, confirm no restraint or airbag warning light is displayed and that the passenger airbag indicator shows as active with an adult in the seat. Ask whether the seat sensor has ever been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While driving with my wife, I received an on-board light and symbol indicator. Stating that the passenger side airbag and restraint system failure. This is the very same sensor the (oc3 pass side matt) that was recalled in 2006 and 2007 models that had the oc3 sensor.”

    NHTSA complaint #10641429, filed 2014-10, 81,000 miles

    “I started my car in the morning and there was a yellow air-bag indicator on my dashboard with a message driver restraint system fault . It wasn't there the night before. Couple of days later, I took the car to dealer and they diagnosed that driver seat mat sensor and control box failed and needed to be replaced for $1,237. Bmw had a recall on seat mat sensor on prior year models and now its occurring in other year models as well.”

    NHTSA complaint #10652721, filed 2014-11, 48,750 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection check the door latches and soft-close function, scan for stored transmission and restraint-system fault codes, and confirm which recall campaigns have been completed for the VIN. Service records for transmission and electrical repairs are worth asking for, since several of these issues can be costly to address.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 58 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 65 consumer complaints for the 2008 BMW 750LI. 55 of the complaints include a mileage, and 11% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 84,850 miles. Of all complaints, 3 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 5 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 23 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 2 BMW 750LI model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 17 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (fewer complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Seats (3), Engine cooling (2), Fuel system (2), Steering (1), Vehicle speed control (1).

Example complaints

Transmission and drivetrain: “Started to hear a knocking in the engine as I was on the highway pulling into the airport, as soon as I enterd the airport the enging sent a rod thru the oil pan.”

NHTSA complaint #10717176, filed 2015-05, 78,000 miles

Body and structure: “The passenger side soft door closer stopped working. I had to manually shut the door, and at times the door would not latch and I had to hold it while driving. It was fixed by a certified Bmw service provider at the cost of over $1,200. Also, the auto trunk stopped working and I now have to close it manually. The certified Bmw service provider said that it would cost approximately $800 to fix.”

NHTSA complaint #10651148, filed 2014-10, 110,000 miles

Electrical system: “Own 2008 Bmw 750 w/ soft close doors. Having the same issue as the 2005-2007 750s that have been recalled. At 35 MPH, door flew open and I couldn't close. Sometimes it latches and sometimes it doesn't. Cpo just expired 1 month ago. Dealer wants $ 1800 to fix. I know other owners w/ soft close doors - nothing but headaches. Considering the 2008 has the same doors as the 2007, I cannot imagine why the recall didn't extend to the 2008 also.”

NHTSA complaint #10596250, filed 2014-06, 78,000 miles

Latches, locks and linkages: “I unlocked my vehicle to open the driver side door so that I may enter. The door opened as it normally should, I entered the vehicle and attempted to close the door. The door would not latch on to the rest of the car. The door will swing open and in the close position properly, but the latch itself would not operate, therefore it is impossible to drive the car in a safe manner. Upon research and consulting with a german car mechanic, it appears that the soft close function of the door failed, causing the latch to seize and become inoperable. …”

NHTSA complaint #10583555, filed 2014-04, 82,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

11% of the 55 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 68,000 and 110,000 miles.

2%0–100%10–259%25–5018%50–7540%75–10029%100–1502%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (55 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 84,850 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’11’13’15’1711’19’21’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2008 BMW 750LI version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
750li RWD4.8L 8-cyl6-speed automatic152318$4,550

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2008 BMW 750LI → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 23 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 23 bulletins →

Other model years of the BMW 750LI

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2014694,0001—19—Not enough data
2013966,0001—19—Not enough data
20122460,0001—17—Falling
20112573,0001—1751 · TypicalStable
20103059,5001—1750 · TypicalFalling
20091066,0001—17—Not enough data
20086584,8502—1817 · FewerFalling
20077788,0004—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200621688,0464—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All BMW 750LI model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2008 BMW 750LI?

Owner complaints for this model year center on two themes: door latching on cars with the soft-close/Comfort Access doors, and transmission fault warnings that put the car into a reduced-power mode. The issues reported most often: Doors that will not latch or open while driving; Transmission fault warning and reduced power; Starting, battery drain and stalling complaints.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2008 BMW 750LI have?

NHTSA recorded 65 consumer complaints for the 2008 BMW 750LI as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2008 BMW 750LI is reported most often?

Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 20 complaints (31% of the total), followed by body and structure with 17.

Has the 2008 BMW 750LI been recalled?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2008 BMW 750LI get?

The EPA rates the 2008 BMW 750LI (750li, 4.8L 8-cyl) at 18 mpg combined, 15 city and 23 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,550 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2008 BMW 750LI reported?

Among the 55 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 84,850 miles and the middle half falls between 68,000 and 110,000 miles; 11% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

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. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.