BMW 735 · model year

1990 BMW 735

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

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1990BMW735 carries 3 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, 0 injuries, 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 1990 735 is steering:gear box (other than rack and pinion) with 1 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (1) and engine and engine cooling:cooling system:radiator assembly (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 34 investigation files overlapping the 1990 735. 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.

3
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 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
STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY1

Recent Complaints

19960917ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY

CONSUMER STATES THAT HE WENT TO CHECK THE OIL IN THE ENGINE AND THE RADIATOR HOSE EXPLODED AND GAVE HIM 2ND AND 3RD DEGREE BURNS.*AK

19950929CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VEHICLE PARKED; TURNED ON IGNITION; SHIFTED FROM PARK TO REVERSE; ENGINE ACCELERATED; VEHICLE LURCHED BACKWARDS FULL SPEED; WENT INTO WOODED AREA ACROSS STREET.

19950310STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)

STEERING BOX HAS TO BE REPLACED, POWER STEERING CUTS OUT. TT

Compare 1990BMW735 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1990 BMW 735 have?
The 1990 BMW 735 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 BMW 735?
The most-complained component for the 1990 BMW 735 is STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY.
Is the 1990 BMW 735 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.