Total Complaints
17 filings
BMW 735I · model year
1989 BMW 735I
17 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989BMW735I carries 17 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 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 1989 735I is engine and engine cooling:cooling system with 5 filings, followed by electrical system (2) and engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:emission control (2). 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 1989 735I. 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.
17
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 5 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020514ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
PRIOR TO RECALL #98V178 CONSUMER HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE COOLANT SYSTEM, CONSUMER STATES ENGINE WENT OUT DUE TO AN OVERHEATED SYSTEM WITHOUT ANY WARNING, IT WAS THEN REPAIRED AND LESS THAN ONE YEAR LATER THE SYSTEM OVERHEATED AGAIN, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER WHERE PROBLEMS WERE FOUND WITH THE COOLING SYSTEM, AS RECENT AS JUNE 2001 THE VEHICLE ONCE AGAIN BLEW A HOSE CONSUMER, WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER BEFORE THE ENGINE WAS LOST.*JB
20011116ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
PRIOR TO RECALL #98V178 CONSUMER HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE COOLANT SYSTEM, CONSUMER STATES ENGINE WENT OUT DUE TO AN OVERHEATED SYSTEM WITHOUT ANY WARNING, IT WAS THEN REPAIRED AND LESS THAN ONE YEAR LATER THE SYSTEM OVERHEATED AGAIN, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER WHERE PROBLEMS WERE FOUND WITH THE COOLING SYSTEM, AS RECENT AS JUNE 2001 THE VEHICLE ONCE AGAIN BLEW A HOSE CONSUMER, WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER BEFORE THE ENGINE WAS LOST.*JB
20000912ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
THERMOSTAT BROKE AND BLEW A HOSE/HEATER DEVELOPED A CRACK, AND THIS FOGGED UP THE WINDOW. CONSUMER COULDN'T SEE. ALSO, ANTIFREEZE SMELL WAS IN THE CABIN, AND WATER PUMP BROKE. *AK
20000912VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
THERMOSTAT BROKE AND BLEW A HOSE/HEATER DEVELOPED A CRACK, AND THIS FOGGED UP THE WINDOW. CONSUMER COULDN'T SEE. ALSO, ANTIFREEZE SMELL WAS IN THE CABIN, AND WATER PUMP BROKE. *AK
20000912ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
THERMOSTAT BROKE AND BLEW A HOSE/HEATER DEVELOPED A CRACK, AND THIS FOGGED UP THE WINDOW. CONSUMER COULDN'T SEE. ALSO, ANTIFREEZE SMELL WAS IN THE CABIN, AND WATER PUMP BROKE. *AK
19991129ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
VEHICLE EXPERIENCES CONTINUED ELECTRICAL FAILURES, REPAIRS COMPLETED SEVERAL TIMES HOWEVER CONTINUES TO FAIL CAUSING SHORTING OUT OF COMPONENTS AND VEHICLE STALLING. MJS
19991129ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED STALLING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS REPLACEMENT OF THE OXYGEN SENSOR & CONTROL UNIT TO RECTIFY PROBLEMS. MJS
19991129ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED STALLING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS REPLACEMENT OF THE OXYGEN SENSOR & CONTROL UNIT TO RECTIFY PROBLEMS. MJS
19991129SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
BRAKES ROTORS AND PADS FAILED CAUSING VIBRATION ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. MJS
19991129SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
BRAKES ROTORS AND PADS FAILED CAUSING VIBRATION ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. MJS
19991129ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
ENGINE CONTINUALLY OVERHEATING AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF SEVERAL COOLING SYSTEM COMPONENTS, COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT AFTER SEVERAL REPAIRS DUE TO OVERHEATING, RECALL ON COMPONENT HOWEVER EXPERIENCED FAILURES PRIOR TO NOTICE (98V-178). MJS
19991129ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
VEHICLE EXPERIENCES CONTINUED ELECTRICAL FAILURES, REPAIRS COMPLETED SEVERAL TIMES HOWEVER CONTINUES TO FAIL CAUSING SHORTING OUT OF COMPONENTS AND VEHICLE STALLING. MJS
19991129ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED STALLING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS REPLACEMENT OF THE OXYGEN SENSOR & CONTROL UNIT TO RECTIFY PROBLEMS. MJS
19991129ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED STALLING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS REPLACEMENT OF THE OXYGEN SENSOR & CONTROL UNIT TO RECTIFY PROBLEMS. MJS
19991129SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
BRAKES ROTORS AND PADS FAILED CAUSING VIBRATION ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. MJS
19991129SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
BRAKES ROTORS AND PADS FAILED CAUSING VIBRATION ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. MJS
19991129ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
ENGINE CONTINUALLY OVERHEATING AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF SEVERAL COOLING SYSTEM COMPONENTS, COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT AFTER SEVERAL REPAIRS DUE TO OVERHEATING, RECALL ON COMPONENT HOWEVER EXPERIENCED FAILURES PRIOR TO NOTICE (98V-178). MJS
Compare 1989BMW735I to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 BMW 735I have?▼
The 1989 BMW 735I has 17 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 BMW 735I?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 BMW 735I is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL.
Is the 1989 BMW 735I 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.