2008 BMW 7 Series

Routine

Owners filed 11 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air Bags2
000
Tires1
000
Structure › Body › Door1
000
Structure › Body1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1
100
Power Train1
000
Latches/Locks/Linkages1
002
Exterior Lighting1
010
Equipment1
000
Air Bags › Side/Window1
100

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Power Assist › Vacuum10V446000
Filed Oct 1, 2010198,352 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc

Defect. BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 5-SERIES, 6-SERIES, AND MODEL YEAR 2002-2008 7-SERIES VEHICLES. A CHECK VALVE OF THE BRAKE VACUUM PUMP MAY LEAK A SMALL AMOUNT OF LUBRICATING OIL. OVER TIME THIS COULD RESULT IN CONTAMINATION OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER.

Risk. POWER ASSIST BRAKING PERFORMANCE COULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED. IN EXTREME CASES THERE COULD BE A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ASSIST BRAKING. AN UNEXPECTED REDUCTION OR LOSS IN POWER BRAKING ASSIST MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy. BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 24, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-525-7417.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air Bags
Filed Dec 4, 2018185,500 milesNC

GETTING ERROR "FAULT IN PASS.-RESTRAINT SYSTEM AFFECTING AIRBAG, BELT TENSIONER OR BELT-FORCE LIMITER. FASTEN AND CONTINUE TO WEAR BELTS. PLEASE CONTACT THE NEAREST BMW CENTER." IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FIXED ON 06 07 BMW 750LI BY RECALL WHAT MAKES 08 DIFFERENT?

Power Train
Filed Jul 25, 2018185,000 milesCA

WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A UPWARD INCLINE THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE TO ACCELERATE AND THE TRANSMISSION FAULT LIGHT WOULD COME ON. I WOULD STOP THE VEHICLE AND RESTART THE ENGINE. IT WOULD ONLY HAPPEN AND I STARTED TO DRIVE ON A UPWARD INCLINE. NOW THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION DEFAULT LIGHT REMAINS ON.

Air Bags
Filed Jun 19, 201491,000 milesIN

THE VERY SAME ISSUE THAT BMW HAS RECALLED THEIR 2006 - 2007 7 SERIES IS AFFECTING MY 2008 7 SERIES AND BMW IS REFUSING THE FIX THE ISSUE. HTTP://BRANDILAWBLOG.FILES.WORDPRESS.COM/2013/12/BMW-RECALL.PDF THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT THAT DETERMINES IF AND HOW THE PASSENGER FRONTAL AIR BAG SHOULD DEPLOY IN A CRASH MAY FATIGUE AND DEVELOP CRACKS WHICH COULD LEAD TO A SYSTEM FAILURE. CONSEQUENCE: SHOULD THE SYSTEM FAIL, IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS WOULD BE DEACTIVATED, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY. NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V-564 COMPONENTS: AIR BAGS AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE. *TR

Structure › Body › Door
Filed Apr 29, 201482,000 milesNJ

I PREVIOUSLY FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA APPROXIMATELY 1 WEEK AGO TO REPORT THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR ON MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED LATCHING CLOSED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED BMW CENTER IN PRINCETON NJ TO HAVE THIS ISSUE DIAGNOSED AND RESOLVED. THEY REPLACED THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR AND THE DOOR LATCHED CLOSED AS IT SHOULD FOR ABOUT A WEEK. 1 WEEK LATER (TODAY) THE SAME DOOR LATCH EXHIBITED THE SAME PROBLEM, ONLY THIS TIME IT BECAME UNLATCHED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A LOCAL ROAD. THE DOORS WERE LOCKED PRIOR TO THE DRIVER SIDE OPEN SWINGING OPEN AND PROCEEDING TO UNLOCK. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE DOOR LATCH ACTUATOR WAS NOT THE PROBLEM, AND THERE IS A MUCH BIGGER PROBLEM HERE, OR THAT PRINCETON BMW DID NOT REPLACE THE PART AS THEY CLAIMED (AND BILLED ME FOR). *JS

Structure › Body
Filed Jun 9, 201365,470 milesCA

DOOR OPEN LIGHT COMES ON WHILE DRIVING AFTER HITTING BUMPS EVEN WHILE LOCKED .DOOR WILL NOT CLOSE AND LATCH AFTER STOPPING TO FUEL OR OTHER STOPS. HAVE TO HOLD CLOSED BY HAND TO GET HOME. THE CAR WAS JUST PURCHASED THE DAY THE FIRST INCIDENT HAPPENED . SINCE THEN 3 TIMES IT HAS FAILED TO LATCH . IT DOES HAVE COMFORT ACCESS AND SOFT CLOSE DOORS . THE COMFORT ACCESS HAS NOT WORKED SINCE I GOT THE CAR. *TR

Tires
Filed Aug 7, 2011CA

MICHELIN 245/35 21 TIRES, SIDEWALL BUBBLES AFTER LESS THEN 2500 MILES WEAKENING TIRE POTENTIAL CRASH CAUS. *TT

Exterior LightingFire
Filed Feb 3, 2011CA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BMW 750 (NA) EQUIPPED WITH HID CONVERSION KIT 8000K. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 70 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY AND AS HE EXITED, THE FIRE EXTINGUISHED INDEPENDENTLY. THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 06E034000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) BUT DID NOT CONFIRM IF THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

Latches/Locks/Linkages2 injured
Filed Oct 5, 2010LA

THE DOORS OF THE CAR AUTOMATICALLY LOCKED WITH NO PROMPTING AFTER SECURING MY 2 BABIES IN THE CAR WITH MY PURSE, KEYS, AND EVERYTHING LOCKED INSIDE. *TR

Service Brakes, HydraulicCrash
Filed Oct 1, 201037,214 milesCA

JUST HAD AN ACCIDENT IN MY BMW 750LI, FAILING TO COME TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT INTERSECTION AND HITTING REAR OF A FORD EXPLORER IN FRONT OF ME, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE CENTER OF MY FRONT BUMPER. I HAD MY BRAKES JAMMED ON FOR OVER 10 FEET, GOING AT A SLOW RATE OF SPEED, BUT BRAKES HAD NO EFFECT AND CAR KEPT GOING UNTIL IMPACT. *TR

Air Bags › Side/WindowCrash
Filed Sep 20, 2010GA

2008 BMW 750I. CONSUMER STATES AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING A COLLISION *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS T-BONED AT AN INTERSECTION BY A CAR WHO RAN A RED LIGHT AT OVER 45 MPH. *JB THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A FROM THE SPECIAL PRODUCT INVESTIGATION WHICH STATED THE IMPACT WAS A RELATIVELY LIGHT SIDE-SWIPE TYPE OF COLLISION IN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE LETTER ALSO STATED THE IMPACT ENERGY WAS NOT ONLY TOO LOW TO WARRANT DEPLOYMENT OF THE SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG, IT WAS TOO LOW TO DEPLOY OTHER SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM DEVICES THAT HAD A LOWER THRESHOLD. UPDATED 10/04/10*JB

Equipment
Filed Jun 8, 2010IL

CONSUMER WRITES REGARDING CONSUMER FRAUD *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE PURCHASE WAS A SET OF CHROME WHEELS WHICH WAS A MAIL ORDER WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE DEFECTIVE AS THEY COULDN'T BE BALANCED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE COMPANY INSTRUCTED HIM TO SHIP THEM BACK VIA FEDERAL EXPRESS AT HIS EXPENSE. THAT WAS DONE ON MARCH 19, 2010 AND THEY NEVER RETURNED THE WHEELS OR HIS MONEY.

11 of 11 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2006
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20122100Routine
20113100Routine
20102200Routine
20099210Routine
2008 — this page11110Routine
200713200Routine
200629300Routine
20054100Routine
200428410Routine
20038200Routine
20024100Routine
20012000Routine
20002000Routine
19992000Routine
19972000Routine
19961000Routine
19952000Routine

Compare every 7 Series year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Oct 1, 2010. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.