2012 BMW 740i

Routine

Owners filed 4 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Seats1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling1
000
Engine1
000
Electrical System1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Power Train › Driveline › Constant Velocity Joint17V067000
Filed Feb 2, 20178,752 vehiclesBmw Of North America, Llc

Defect. BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 1 Series M Coupe and 135i Convertible vehicles, 2011 Z4 sDrive 35i, 335i, 335d, 335i Coupe, 335is Coupe, 335i Convertible, 335is Convertible, 535i, 535i xDrive, 535i Gran Turismo and 550i xDrive Gran Turismo vehicles and 2012 740i and 740Li vehicles. The rear driveshaft constant velocity (CV) joint on the affected vehicles may fatigue and break.

Risk. If the CV joint breaks, the vehicle may have a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear driveshaft CV joint and, based on its production date, will replace it, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Engine
Filed Mar 6, 2019115,438 milesNV

I PULLED IN TO MY HOME TO DISCOVER THAT MY BMW WAS LEAKING OIL AFTER TAKING IT TO A BMW SERVICE CENTER THEY DIAGNOSED AND INDEED I HAD AN OIL LEAK FROM THE GASKET HOUSING SEAL CAR WAS STILL OPERATING FINE UNTIL I TURN THE CAR ON ONE MORNING AND IT JUST KEEP STALLING BEING STUCK AND CONSTANT IDLE THE OIL IS SMUDGE ALL OVER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND I CAN'T DRIVE WITHOUT VAPORS AND FUMES BEING PRESENT IN THE VEHICLE

Electrical System
Filed May 19, 201430,000 milesGA

WE WERE TRAVELING I-75 SOUTH NEAR GAINESVILLE, FL., AND THE VEHICLE JUST SHUT DOWN. WE WERE IN THE FAST LANE AND HAD TO STRUGGLE TO STEER IT TO GET IT OFF THE HWY. LIGHT CAME ON SAYING DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION. DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN STRUCK BY LIGHTENING AT 11,000 MILES AND IT SHUT DOWN WHILE WE WERE DRIVING IT AT ABOUT 50 MPH. INSURANCE COMPANY REFUSE TO TOTAL VEHICLE OUT AND FIXED IT FOR $41,000. SAME SCENARIO. VEHICLE NOT SAFE AND BMW WILL NOT RESPOND TO THE LOSS. BREAKDOWN ON MAY 11, AS A RESULT OF LIGHTENING STRIKE. NO ONE WILL ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. *JS

Seats
Filed Oct 17, 201312,000 milesCA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 740I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN RESTING HIS LEFT KNEE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR, HE WOULD INADVERTENTLY DEPRESS THE SIDE VIEW MIRROR BUTTONS. IN ADDITION, THE DRIVER'S SEAT WOULD MOVE BACK AND FORTH INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE SEAT ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM AND THE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS NEEDED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000. UPDATED 11/25/13*CN

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Apr 5, 201210,000 milesCA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 740I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH IN THE RAIN, HE DROVE THROUGH A PUDDLE OF WATER AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO RESTART THE ENGINE, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER STATED THAT ENTERED THE ENGINE, BUT THEY DID NOT KNOW HOW TO REPAIR IT. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO NOTIFY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THEY ALSO ADVISED THE CONTACT TO NOTIFY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

4 of 4 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2001
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20250300Routine
20243500Routine
202311900Routine
20211200Routine
20201200Routine
20194100Routine
20185000Routine
20177000Routine
201612000Routine
20151100Routine
20141100Routine
20131100Routine
2012 — this page4100Routine
200115410Routine
200012210Routine
19998100Routine
19988100Routine
19973300Routine
19961300Routine
19959500Routine
19947200Routine
199315220Routine

Compare every 740i 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: Feb 2, 2017. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.