1991 BMW 735i

Routine

Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling › cooling system. It has been recalled 3 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System2
000

3 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System98V178000
Filed Aug 4, 1998340,000 vehiclesBayerische Motoren Werke

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. A MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF A COOLANT SYSTEM COMPONENT, SUCH AS A THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP, OR FAN BELT, CAN RESULT IN SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED COOLANT TEMPERATURE AND SYSTEM PRESSURE. IF THE INDICATIONS OF A CRITICAL OVERHEATING CONDITION IS NOT NOTICED BY THE DRIVER, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT DAMAGE TO, OR FAILURE OF, A COOLANT SYSTEM COMPONENT COULD OCCUR.

Risk. IF A CRACK WERE TO FORM OR A SEAM WERE TO SEPARATE IN THE HEATER CORE END PIECE, HOT COOLANT COULD SUDDENLY BE EXPELLED, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY TO A VEHICLE OCCUPANT.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW DESIGN RADIATOR CAP TO CONTROL PRESSURE AND PROVIDE GREATER COOLANT OVERFLOW IN THE EVENT OF OVERHEATING.

Air Bags › Frontal96V110000
Filed Jul 1, 199675,000 vehiclesBayerische Motoren Werke

Defect. THE AIR BAG CONTACT RING LOCKING TAB LOCATED IN THE STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY CAN BREAK WITHOUT WARNING.

Risk. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE CONTACT RING WIRING COULD EVENTUALLY BREAK. THE AIR BAG READINESS INDICATOR LAMP (SRS OR AIRBAG) IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WILL ILLUMINATE, AND THE AIR BAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A FRONTAL IMPACT VEHICLE COLLISION.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LOCKING TAB WITH ONE OF A DIFFERENT DESIGN.

Exterior Lighting › Brake Lights › Switch96V111000
Filed Jul 1, 1996180,000 vehiclesBayerische Motoren Werke

Defect. THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH CAN FAIL ALLOWING THE SWITCH TO REMAIN IN THE "BRAKE LIGHTS OFF" POSITION OR IN THE "BRAKE LIGHTS ON" POSITION.

Risk. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE BRAKE LIGHTS EITHER WILL NOT OPERATE OR WILL BE CONTINUOUSLY ON, REGARDLESS OF BRAKE PEDAL POSITION. FOLLOWING DRIVERS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS STOPPING, INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED SWITCH.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System
Filed May 17, 2001CA

THE VEHICLES COOLING SYSTEM FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE 98V-178, THE DEALER REFUSED REPAIR STATING THAT THE HEATER CORE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE RELATED TO THE RADIATOR CAP RECALL, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME SYMPTOMS STATED IN THE RECALL. NLM

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System
Filed Aug 19, 1999NJ

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED FAILURE OF THE RECALL COMPONENT (98V-178) PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE RESULTING IN ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO ENGINE COMPONENTS. MJS

2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1992
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
19951100Routine
19940100Routine
19930100Routine
19926310Routine
1991 — this page2300Routine
19904200Routine

Compare every 735i 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: Aug 4, 1998. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.