Total Complaints
9 filings
BMW 740I · model year
1999 BMW 740I
9 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1999BMW740I carries 9 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 1999 740I is air bags:frontal with 2 filings, followed by electrical system (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (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 1999 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.
9
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| TIRES:SIDEWALL | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20151215ENGINE
BMW E38 HAVE A HIGH TENDENCY FOR THE GUIDES FOR THE CAMSHAFT CHAIN (S) TO FRACTURE AND COME APART. THIS LEADS TO PLASTIC PIECES TO CAUSE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE, PLASTIC AND METAL SHAVINGS TO BE OBSERVED IN THE LOWER OIL PAN AS WELL AS JUMP IN TIMING FOR THE OWNER WHO HAS TO EITHER PAY$$$ OR JUNK THE CAR. THE SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST UTILIZED CARBON FIBER GUIDES. MANY OF THESE FAILURES OCCUR EVEN BEFORE 125K.. I FIND IT INCOMPREHENSIBLE THAT SOMEONE WHO PAYS 70K FOR THIS VEHICLE TO HAVE TO ENDURE SPENDING ANOTHER 5-6K TO GET THE CAR RUNNING AGAIN. JUST LOOK AT YOUTUBE.COM AND YOU WILL SEE WHAT I AM REFERRING TO. WISH I'D BOUGHT A USED FORD.
20120111AIR BAGS
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK APPROXIMATELY 3AM IN THE MORNING AND I WAS GETTING CLOSE TO MY TURN AND I WAS SLOWING DOWN AND I HIT A POT HOLE.. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOY ALMOST CAUSE ME TO WRECK MY CAR... *TR
Mileage: 130,000
20101116SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BMW 740I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH SLIGHT PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE BRAKES MOMENTARILY LOCKED. THE AIR BAG LIGHT THEN BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE ON THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE FLUSHED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE HAS SINCE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 79,900.
Mileage: 78,500
20070626TIRES:SIDEWALL
KUHMO TIRES - ZRATED 235/50/18 TIRES ON 1999 BMW 740I - TIRES ONE MONTH OLD. LOW USAGE - SIDEWALL BLOW OUT WITH NO EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO SIDEWALL. DEFECT IN TIRE.*AK
20051123POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
DT: THE CONTACT STATES THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 99V005000 CONCERNING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THIS VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL, BUT IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. THE CONTACT WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT HIS OWN EXPENSE. ALSO, HE EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS PREVIOUSLY. THE DEALER REPAIRED A LEAK IN THE TRANSMISSION UNDER WARRANTY.*AK
20030408ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TRACTION CONTROL, BRAKE AND ABS LIGHT ARE ALL INDICATING FAILURE. DEALER IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE. BRAKES APPEAR TO WORK OK BUT WARNING LIGHTS CAUSE CONCERN. *NLM
Mileage: 36,000
20030408SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
TRACTION CONTROL, BRAKE AND ABS LIGHT ARE ALL INDICATING FAILURE. DEALER IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE. BRAKES APPEAR TO WORK OK BUT WARNING LIGHTS CAUSE CONCERN. *NLM
Mileage: 36,000
20030219AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
THE VEHICLE HIT A TREE, AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY.*JB
20030213CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
CONSUMER HIT A TREE, AND THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY.*JB
Compare 1999BMW740I to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1999 BMW 740I have?▼
The 1999 BMW 740I has 9 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 BMW 740I?▼
The most-complained component for the 1999 BMW 740I is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Is the 1999 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.