AI DamageBMW 740I: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the BMW 740I across 11 model years: 12 owner complaints and 482 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 25% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 17% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 17% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 17% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 8% of all complaints
- 6 Lane departure 8% of all complaints
- 7 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (25% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 589.
- Engine: 2 complaints (17% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 102.
- Vehicle speed control: 2 complaints (17% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 5.
- Seat belts: 2 complaints (17% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 4.
- Structure: 1 complaints (8% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 78.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3 L · petrol · turbo · 6 cyl 2011–2022
- 4 L · petrol · 8 cyl 1993–1995
- 4.4 L · petrol · 8 cyl 1998–2001
- 3 L · hybrid · turbo · 6 cyl 2023–2026
- automatic, 5-speed 1993–2001
- automatic, 6-speed 2011–2012
- automatic, 8-speed 2013–2026
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 12 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 589 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 102 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 78 |
| Lane departure | 1 | 0 | 34 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 27 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 435 |
| Engine and cooling | 0 | 0 | 141 |
| Steering | 0 | 0 | 102 |
| Backover prevention | 0 | 0 | 68 |
| Exterior lighting | 0 | 0 | 62 |
| Visibility | 0 | 0 | 59 |
| Air bags | 0 | 0 | 50 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Blind spot warning randomly works. Passenger seatbelt phantom seatbelt warning while driving alone!
The vehicle was taken to the local service center who diagnosed that the front driver’s and passenger’s side air suspension was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and dealer were both notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered.
Active Air Flap fault, Upper and Lower Actuator is not working and that is why engine is overheating. BMW has extended this warranty to 10 years/120K miles for 750 and 550 series manufactured up to Aug 2019. But they have not done that on 740 series.
This can cause restricted climate control in the vehicle interior, reduction of engine performance and possibly engine overheating. This appears to be a common problem with model years 2016+. I noticed this when I turned on the car and the check engine light came on. There is no visible damage to the shutter.
I got engine malfunction light on two separate occasions on my bmw; on each occasion the car was sent to dealership for repair to find that the upper and lower radiator blinds are at fault and this required replacement.
On two occasions a false fasten seat belt from passenger side has come up when the seat was not occupied. The car was sent for repair. On the first occasion it was indicated the wiring is loose for the seat belt harness so it was tightened.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Moisture, condensation, and/or fogging are visible in one or both Daytime Running Lights (DRL) upper…
- After programming the vehicle via ISTA/RSUto I-level …26-03-5xx, customer may reportsome of the interior…
- When pulling on the hood (highlighted inorange in the top photo) release lever (highlighted in orange in…
- Potential customer complaints with no fault codes stored / No MIL displayed
- Bonnet Release Holder
- After programming the vehicle via ISTA/RSUto I-level …26-03-5xx, some of the interiorambient lighting…
- After replacement of the Integrated Braking system (IB)/Power Brake the total distance covered might…
- “Cracking” noise might be heard when turning the steering wheel from lock to lock
- The return springs on the exhaust camshaft followers (switchable rocker arm) may break
- This Service Bulletin provides instructions to clean the intake valves using the BMW Carbon Blaster Tool…
- The manual starting of electronic engine oil level measurement from inside the vehicle, usually…
- The NVLD modules limited warranty for defects in materials and/or workmanship has been extended to 15…
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.