BMW 740I · model year

1996 BMW 740I

1 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1996BMW740I carries 1 consumer safety complaint 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 1996 740I is suspension:front:springs:leaf spring assembly with 1 filings. 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 1996 740I. 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.

1
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

1 filings

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

ComponentCount
SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY1

Recent Complaints

20020718SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING FRONT END BEGAN TO MAKE A LOUD NOISE. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND MECHANIC STATED THERE WAS RECALL 97V140000. HOWEVER THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

Compare 1996BMW740I to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1996 BMW 740I have?
The 1996 BMW 740I has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 BMW 740I?
The most-complained component for the 1996 BMW 740I is SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1996 BMW 740I 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.