Check a vehicle VIN check Latest recalls Latest complaints Common problems Rankings Compare vehicles Recall roundups All makes Guides Share your experience
Theme

2002-2010 · 9 model years

BMW 7 Series Problems by year

Owners have filed 949 complaints about the BMW 7 Series across 9 model years, and it has 6 recalls. The 2006 has the most complaints once its age is allowed for (317), while 2009 has far fewer than a typical year. The most reported problem area is the transmission & drivetrain, followed by the body, doors & structure.

Most complaints for its age2006317 complaints · 3 recallsSee the 2006
Complaints
949
Recalls
6
Crashes
45
Fires
19
Injuries
39
Deaths
0

7 Series complaints by model year

Highlighted: the year with the most complaints for its age. Older vehicles have had more time to collect complaints - the Safety Index grade allows for that.

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
201048015Engine & coolingB
200926002Engine & coolingA
200894152Body, doors & structureC
2007127251Body, doors & structureC
2006317382Transmission & drivetrainF
200549170AirbagsB
200491445Transmission & drivetrainC
200397291BrakesC
2002100161Transmission & drivetrainC

Most common 7 Series problems

BMW 7 Series recalls 6

Latest 7 Series complaints

2008 BMW 7 SeriesBody, doors & structure

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 750LI US. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH, the rear passenger door opened inadvertently. The contact stated that the right rear passenger immediately closed the door and later, when the vehicle was parked and the right rear passenger attempted to exit, the door would not open from the inside. When attempting to open the door from the outside, it also would not open and has remained inoperable. The contact added that a few days later while driving at...

Read the full complaint

approximately 45MPH the front passenger opened inadvertently. The passenger attempted to close the door but the door did not remain closed. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and when he existed the vehicle and he pushed the door with force and the door remained closed. The contact also stated that the soft close feature did not work as intended after the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact believes the failure is associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V328 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

Filed Incident Latches / locks / linkagesNHTSA 11740139
2010 BMW 7 SeriesTransmission & drivetrainEngine & coolingFuel system

Due to the terrible turbo v design my n63 engine , stalls, throws misfire codes, tranny malfunctioning codes , lean fuel codes , it's truly dangerous to drive . The vehicle sits at 101250 miles that's driven less than 10k miles per year since it was produced and I was totally mislead , unfairly charged for something that was deemed to be great & life changing but it has been the total opposite! I truly want BMW of America to repair because this doesn't happen if they did not design the vehicle to destroy itself in order to make monies ! Please help me with this car .. PLEASE . Thanks

Filed Incident Power train · Engine · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11718066
2010 BMW 7 SeriesElectrical systemEngine & coolingFuel systemCrashFire2 injuries

Car caught fire while parked. No signal on car indicating any problem. Car caught fire in front of my child's community center exposing children to smoke inhalation. I had to call the fire department to put out the fire. My car year and model was recalled for this but not my VIN. This has never happened to any of my cars in my life I'm just thinking how bad it could of been if I was one the highway.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Engine · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11715899
2006 BMW 7 SeriesTransmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2006 BMW 750Li. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the message "Transmission Fault - Drive Moderate" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the contact was advised that the vehicle would need to be kept over the weekend, but the contact declined. The vehicle was taken to Pep Boys, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 159,857.

Filed Incident Power trainNHTSA 11708033
2006 BMW 7 SeriesBody, doors & structure

The contact owns a 2006 BMW 750I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V328000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The contact stated that the passenger's side rear door had failed to function as intended and failed to open. Additionally, the handle on the driver's side rear door intermittently failed to function as intended and required to be hit to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to perform the recall repair because the door latch system on the vehicle was old. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Incident Latches / locks / linkages · StructureNHTSA 11701249
2008 BMW 7 SeriesElectrical systemBody, doors & structure

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 750I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V328000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the dealer was unable to repair the recall in a timely manner and the contact had to recover the vehicle from the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the driver's side door was not closing properly and opened independently. The contact stated that the "Door Ajar" chime was audible. The contact stated that the other 3 doors were not...

Read the full complaint

closing properly. Additionally, the contact stated that because the doors were not closing securely, the 12V battery was being drained which was leading to other electrical systems failure. The contact stated that the battery was replaced two times within four months. The contact stated that the vehicle was no longer starting due to electrical failures. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Latches / locks / linkagesNHTSA 11647036

Questions about the BMW 7 Series

Which BMW 7 Series years have the most problems?

By the number of complaints owners filed with NHTSA: 2006 (317), 2007 (127), 2002 (100). Allowing for how long each has been on the road, the 2006 stands out most. Complaint counts also rise with sales, so compare years of the same model rather than different models.

Which BMW 7 Series years have the fewest complaints?

Among model years that have been on the road for at least three years, 2009, 2010, 2005 have the best Safety Index - the fewest complaints, crashes and recalls for their age compared with other 7 Series years. Always check the exact vehicle's recalls by VIN before you buy.

What are the most common BMW 7 Series problems?

Across every model year, owners report problems with the transmission & drivetrain (258), body, doors & structure (174), airbags (170) most often.

How many recalls does the BMW 7 Series have?

NHTSA lists 6 recalls across all BMW 7 Series model years. Each year's page lists the recalls for that year; check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether the repair has been done.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

Owners helping owners

Know before you drive.

Every experience you share - good or bad - shows on that vehicle's page and helps the next owner and buyer. Two minutes, anonymous.

Share your experience