Car Problem DataNHTSA records

1993 BMW 740Il

Routine

Owners filed 9 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling › engine › gasoline. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline2
000
Vehicle Speed Control1
100
Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist › Hose, Piping, and Connections1
000
Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner1
000
Power Train1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System1
000
Air Bags › Frontal1
100

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
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
Vehicle Speed ControlCrash
Filed Jul 2, 2002NJ

WHILE IN PARK AND AFTER TURNING ON IGNITION SWITCH VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND TOOK OFF, RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash
Filed Jul 2, 2002NJ

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK THE NEW SMALL SAFETY SWITCH WHICH ALLOWS THE VEHICLE TO START IN PARK AND NEUTRAL POSITIONS.*YH

Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner
Filed May 24, 2002OK

I SET MEMORY SEAT POSITION 1 AND IT WORKED FINE. I WAS DRIVING HOME AT 70 MPH AND WONDERED IF I SHOULD SET POSITION 2 FOR GRETA. I HIT THE BUTTON MEMORY TWO AND THE SEAT BACK FULLY RECLINED AND WENT ALL THE WAY BACK. BEING SHORT WITH SHORT LEGS I LOST CONTROL FOR A SECOND AND FOUGHT MY WAY TO A STOP ON THE SHOULDER. THE SEAT MOVED FORWARD BUT THE BACKREST REMAINED STUCK. I DROVE HOME SLOWLY AND CONTACTED THE DEALER. IT WAS FIXED BUT I AM AFRAID IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed May 22, 2002FL

ENGINE IS LOSING PRESSURE THROUGH CYLINDERS, CAUSING VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT AND SMOKE. DEALER HAS REPLACED ENGINE BLOCK; HOWEVER, PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed May 12, 2002FL

MY CAR STARTED MISSING AND SMOKING ON DEC, 2001. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC, AND AFTERTAIRING DOWN THE ENGINE, HE FOUND THAT THE BLOCK WAS DEECTIVE. AND IT WAS CHANGED IN 1999 BY THE DEALER. I HAVE MADE RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS YEAR AND MODEL. SOME PEOPLE HAVE HAD 2 AND 3 BLOCK CHANGES. I AM IN A LEGAL PROCESS DEMANDING BMW T CHANGE IT WITHOUT ANYCHARGE.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Oct 23, 2000CA

KNOWN DEFECT BY MANUFACTURER & DEALER. NOT DISCLOSED UPON SALE. UNWILLING TO FIX NOW. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System
Filed Jul 28, 1999CO

THE WATER PUMP FROZE, THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM WAS ON RECALL, HOWEVER NOT COVERED BY DEALER. MJS

Power Train
Filed Feb 5, 1998TX

TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED.

Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist › Hose, Piping, and Connections
Filed Feb 4, 1998MT

POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSE CAME APART FROM FRAME AREA DUE TO FAULTY DESIGN CAUSING LEAKING.

9 of 9 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2001
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
200126210Routine
200020210Routine
19996100Routine
199826100Routine
199719210Routine
199611200Routine
199512410Routine
19943100Routine
1993 — this page9100Routine

Compare every 740Il 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: Jul 1, 1996. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.