BMW 7-SERIES · model year

1999 BMW 7-SERIES

4 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1999BMW7-SERIES carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1999 7-SERIES is air bags with 1 filings, followed by structure (1) and service brakes, hydraulic (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1999 7-SERIES. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

4
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

4 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS1
STRUCTURE1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC1
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL1

Recent Complaints

20101108STRUCTURE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BMW 7 SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKES WERE HESITANT TO ENGAGE AND ABNORMALLY VIBRATING WHEN DECELERATING. THERE WAS ALSO A WATER LEAK IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

Mileage: 78,000

20101108SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BMW 7 SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKES WERE HESITANT TO ENGAGE AND ABNORMALLY VIBRATING WHEN DECELERATING. THERE WAS ALSO A WATER LEAK IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

Mileage: 78,000

20101108AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BMW 7 SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKES WERE HESITANT TO ENGAGE AND ABNORMALLY VIBRATING WHEN DECELERATING. THERE WAS ALSO A WATER LEAK IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

Mileage: 78,000

20030205CrashAIR BAGS

THE AIR BAG(S) IN MY VEHICLE DID NOT DEPLOY DURING A COLLISION. THE COLLISION WAS AN OFF-CENTER FRONT-END AT A SPEED ESTIMATED TO BE AROUND 20 M.P.H. OR GREATER. THE VEHICLE IS A 1999 BMW 740IA. I BELIEVE THE AIR BAG(S) TO BE DEFECTIVE AND DID NOT PROPERLY PROTECT ME.

Compare 1999BMW7-SERIES to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1999 BMW 7-SERIES have?
The 1999 BMW 7-SERIES has 4 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 BMW 7-SERIES?
The most-complained component for the 1999 BMW 7-SERIES is AIR BAGS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC.
Is the 1999 BMW 7-SERIES safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.