2016 BMW 740i

Routine

Owners filed 12 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Vehicle Speed Control2
000
Unknown or Other2
000
Seat Belts2
000
Engine2
000
Electrical System2
000
Suspension1
000
Structure › Body1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Seat Belts
Filed Jun 28, 2024OH

Blind spot warning randomly works. Passenger seatbelt phantom seatbelt warning while driving alone!

Suspension
Filed Nov 9, 202252,000 milesMS

The contact owns a 2016 BMW 740I. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front air suspension failed to perform as designed, causing the front end of the vehicle to remain lowered, making the front driver’s and passenger’s side tires touching the inner wheel well. 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. The failure mileage was 52,000.

Engine
Filed Sep 8, 2022CA

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. My vehicle has the same problem and should be covered under the same in order to avoid engine damage. Please advice the next step. The fault code are: P05A0, P05AE, P05A2, P059F.

Structure › Body
Filed Nov 8, 202075,100 milesGA

NOT REALLY SURE IF THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY COMPLAINT, BUT IT COULD LEAD TO PROBLEMS IF NOT CORRECTED. THE UPPER RADIATOR SHUTTLE WILL NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. 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. THE LINK BELOW IS FOR ANOTHER MODEL OF BMW, BUT SHOWS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM: HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.GOV/ODI/TSBS/2019/MC-10160279-9999.PDF

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 3, 202029,000 milesAZ

ON JULY 30, I WAS DRIVING AT 35MPH ON A MAJOR ROAD IN PINETOP/LAKESIDE, ARIZONA WHEN THE SUNROOF, THAT WAS IN THE VENT POSITION, EXPLODED INWARD SHOWERING ME AND A PASSENGER IN SHATTERED GLASS. IT WAS NOT STRUCK BY ANY OBJECT PRIOR TO THE EXPLOSION. DUE TO EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE SUNROOF CASSETTE, THE REPAIR IS ABOUT $7,000.

Engine
Filed Sep 26, 201825,000 milesCA

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. THE 2016 BMW 740I IS EQUIPPED WITH A FRONT GRILLE WHERE THE VENTS ARE COVERED BY BLINDS THAT OPEN WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED AND CLOSED WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED OFF ALLOWED SOME TIME FOR WARM AIR TO COME OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.

Seat Belts
Filed Sep 26, 201812,000 milesCA

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. ON THE SECOND OCCASION THE CAR WAS SENT TO DEALERSHIP IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HARNESS WIRING TRACK COULD COME LOOSE AND THEREFORE HAD TO BE REROUTED.

Unknown or Other
Filed Apr 15, 20172,696 milesCA

ACTIVE PDC FAILS ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN WAS RELEASED IN MARCH 2017 BY BMW AND NEW SOFTWARE WAS DOWNLOADED. DESPITE THE NEW SOFTWARE DOWNLOADED TO VEHICLE THERE CONTINUES TO BE INCIDENTS POST THAT WHEN THE ACTIVE PDC FAILS TO ACTIVATE. BMW CONTINUES TO CLAIM THE FEATURE WORKS AS DESIGNED BUT THERE IS NEVER ANY EXPLANATION BY THE DEALER WHY IT IS BY DESIGN. FOREMAN AT THE BMW DEALERSHIP WHERE HE WITNESSED MULTIPLE FAILURES OF IT ARGUED THAT I CAN SEE THE CAR IS GOING TO HIT ANOTHER CAR OR AN OBJECT SO WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO HAVE IT ACTIVATE? THIS ARGUMENT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE, BECAUSE THE FEATURE SHOULD WORK, AND IF YOU KNOW CAR IS GOING TO HIT ANOTHER CAR OR OBJECT THEN YOU SHOULD EXPECT FEATURE TO ACTIVATE OTHERWISE WHY IS THE FEATURE. DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT WOULD NOT ACCEPT TO DOCUMENT THE FAILURES IN THE SERVICE ORDER OR THE ARGUMENTS FOREMAN MADE.

Electrical System
Filed Mar 8, 20171,924 milesCA

AUDIO CONTROL SYSTEM FREEZES ON THE BMW 740I. IT HAPPENS THAT AUDIO IS GONE COMPLETELY, SYSTEM DOES NOT RESPOND TO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING TO RAISE VOLUME: 1. GESTURE COMMANDS TO RAISE VOLUME (THE SYSTEM DOES NOT EVEN SHOW GESTURE IS INVOLVED ON THE DASH DISPLAY) 2. FROM THE POWER BUTTON BY MANUALLY ADJUSTING HIGHER, THERE IS NO RESPONSE FROM SYSTEM AT ALL AND DASH SCREEN DOES NOT SHOW VOLUME INCREASE IS BEING ATTEMPTED. 3. FROM THE VOLUME UP BUTTON ON THE STEERING WHEEL, AGAIN NO SIGN ON DASH SCREEN THAT VOLUME INCREASE IS BEING ATTEMPTED.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Feb 20, 20171,339 milesCA

THE PROBLEM IS CENTERED AROUND ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM OF BMW 740I 2016. BMW 740I CAN'T DETECT VEHICLES FROM THE RIGHT CORNER OR LEFT CORNER WHEN TWO LANES MERGE INTO ONE AND THE BMW IS APPROACHING THE OTHER VEHICLE WHERE THE OTHER VEHICLE IS EITHER AT FRONT RIGHT OR LEFT RIGHT. THERE ARE MULTIPLE SYMPTOMS OF THIS PROBLEM: FIRST SYMPTOM, BMW 740I IS NOT TRACKING ANY VEHICLE AND COCKPIT DOES NOT SHOW A TRACKED VEHICLE. A CAR OR BIG TRUCK IS IN THE SECOND LANE MERGING FROM EITHER CORNER, BMW 740I DOES NOT DETECT THOUGH THERE WAS ENOUGH TIME AND DISTANCE TO DETECT. IN ONE EXAMPLE THERE WAS 18 WHEELER MERGING LANE AND BMW NEVER DETECTED THE 18 WHEELER THOUGH MAJORITY OF THE 18 WHEELER WAS AHEAD OF THE BMW FROM THE RIGHT CORNER. SECOND SYMPTOM IS BMW 740I IS TRACKING ANOTHER VEHICLE, WHEN TWO LANES MERGE THERE IS A CAR FROM THE OTHER LANE COMING IN FRONT FROM THE RIGHT CORNER OR LEFT CORNER, BMW NEVER SLOWS DOWN FURTHER SINCE THAT VEHICLE IS ALREADY NOW IN VIEW OF THE BMW. MY UNDERSTANDING THE BMW USES THE CAMERA BEHIND THE REAR VIEW MIRROR, FACING FORWARD, TO DETECT SUCH SCENARIOS.

Electrical System
Filed Jan 27, 2017669 milesCA

2016 BMW 740I IS EQUIPMENT WITH AUTOMATIC PARK DISTANCE CONTROL SYSTEM (PDC) THAT AUTOMATICALLY ACTIVATES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS CLOSE TO AN OBSTACLE WHEN DRIVING AT VERY LOW SPEED. THE SYSTEM IS VERY FLAKY IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCE, SOMETIMES IT ACTIVATES WHEN IT IS 2 FT AWAY FROM OBJECT AND MANY TIMES IT ACTIVATES WHEN IT IS ONLY 2 INCHES AWAY. IN SOME INSTANCE IT FAILS TO ACTIVATE COMPLETELY SO MANUAL INTERVENTION IS REQUIRED TO ACTIVATE SENSORS. DEALER TRIED REPAIRING TWICE INCLUDING NEW SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD AND CALIBRATION OF SENSORS BUT THE PROBLEMS PERSISTS AND THEY SAY NOTHING IS WRONG. *TR

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jan 25, 2017400 milesCA

VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL AND PEDESTRIAN DETECTION FEATURE. THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL MISSES TO ADAPT SPEED OR STOP OR DETECT A VEHICLE IN FRONT REQUIRING DRIVER INTERVENTION TO AVOID A COLLISION. I HAVE SEEN MULTIPLE SYMPTOMS OF THIS PROBLEM OCCURRING. SYMPTOM 1: VEHICLE BMW WITH ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL IS TRACKING ANOTHER VEHICLE AND ADAPTING SPEED HOWEVER FOR UNKNOWN REASON IT LATER FAILS TO START THE PROCESS OF SLOWING DOWN AND COLLISION ALARM IS SOUNDED SYMPTOM 2: VEHICLE BMW IS TRACKING ANOTHER VEHICLE AND ADAPTING SPEED ON LANE 1; UPON BMW SWITCHING LANES TO ANOTHER CLEAR LANE THE CAR ACCELERATES TO REACH TARGET SPEED AND THOUGH IT DETECTS ANOTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT IT FAILS TO START SLOWING DOWN. DRIVER INTERVENTION IS REQUIRED TO BRAKE AND SLOW DOWN. SYMPTOM 3: SAME AS DRIVING CONDITION IN SYMPTOM 2 EXCEPT THAT UPON LANE SWITCH THE BMW FAILS COMPLETELY TO DETECT A VEHICLE PARKED IN THE SECOND LANE AND KEEP GOING ON AT SAME SPEED. DRIVER INTERVENTION IS REQUIRED TO STOP THE BMW I HAVE VIDEOS OF THE THREE SYMPTOMS AND ASK YOU FOR MEANS TO UPLOAD THE VIDEOS. BMW DEALERSHIP ATTEMPTED TO DOWNLOAD NEW SOFTWARE TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT THE PROBLEMS INCREASED. I HAVE VIDEOS RECORDED POST THE REPAIRS AND WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU. *TR

12 of 12 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2001
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20250300Routine
20243500Routine
202311900Routine
20211200Routine
20201200Routine
20194100Routine
20185000Routine
20177000Routine
2016 — this page12000Routine
20151100Routine
20141100Routine
20131100Routine
20124100Routine
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.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.