BMW 740I · model year

2016 BMW 740I

14 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2016BMW740I carries 14 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 2016 740I is electrical system with 3 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (2) and unknown or other (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 2016 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.

14
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

14 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
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
ENGINE2
SEAT BELTS2
STRUCTURE:BODY1
SUSPENSION1
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION1

Recent Complaints

20240628SEAT BELTS

Blind spot warning randomly works. Passenger seatbelt phantom seatbelt warning while driving alone!

20240628ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Blind spot warning randomly works. Passenger seatbelt phantom seatbelt warning while driving alone!

20240628LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

Blind spot warning randomly works. Passenger seatbelt phantom seatbelt warning while driving alone!

20221109SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2016 BMW 740I. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front air suspension failed to perform as designed, causing the front end of the vehicle to remain lowered, making the front driver’s and passenger’s side tires touching the inner wheel well. The vehicle was taken to the local service center who diagnosed that the front driver’s and passenger’s side air suspension was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and dealer were both notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 52,000.

Mileage: 52,000

20220908ENGINE

Active Air Flap fault, Upper and Lower Actuator is not working and that is why engine is overheating. BMW has extended this warranty to 10 years/120K miles for 750 and 550 series manufactured up to Aug 2019. But they have not done that on 740 series. My vehicle has the same problem and should be covered under the same in order to avoid engine damage. Please advice the next step. The fault code are: P05A0, P05AE, P05A2, P059F.

20201108STRUCTURE:BODY

NOT REALLY SURE IF THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY COMPLAINT, BUT IT COULD LEAD TO PROBLEMS IF NOT CORRECTED. THE UPPER RADIATOR SHUTTLE WILL NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. THIS CAN CAUSE RESTRICTED CLIMATE CONTROL IN THE VEHICLE INTERIOR, REDUCTION OF ENGINE PERFORMANCE AND POSSIBLY ENGINE OVERHEATING. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MODEL YEARS 2016+. I NOTICED THIS WHEN I TURNED ON THE CAR AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THERE IS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE SHUTTER. THE LINK BELOW IS FOR ANOTHER MODEL OF BMW, BUT SHOWS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM: HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.GOV/ODI/TSBS/2019/MC-10160279-9999.PDF

Mileage: 75,100

20200803UNKNOWN OR OTHER

ON JULY 30, I WAS DRIVING AT 35MPH ON A MAJOR ROAD IN PINETOP/LAKESIDE, ARIZONA WHEN THE SUNROOF, THAT WAS IN THE VENT POSITION, EXPLODED INWARD SHOWERING ME AND A PASSENGER IN SHATTERED GLASS. IT WAS NOT STRUCK BY ANY OBJECT PRIOR TO THE EXPLOSION. DUE TO EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE SUNROOF CASSETTE, THE REPAIR IS ABOUT $7,000.

Mileage: 29,000

20180926ENGINE

I GOT ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS ON MY BMW; ON EACH OCCASION THE CAR WAS SENT TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR TO FIND THAT THE UPPER AND LOWER RADIATOR BLINDS ARE AT FAULT AND THIS REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. THE 2016 BMW 740I IS EQUIPPED WITH A FRONT GRILLE WHERE THE VENTS ARE COVERED BY BLINDS THAT OPEN WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED AND CLOSED WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED OFF ALLOWED SOME TIME FOR WARM AIR TO COME OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.

Mileage: 25,000

20180926SEAT BELTS

ON TWO OCCASIONS A FALSE FASTEN SEAT BELT FROM PASSENGER SIDE HAS COME UP WHEN THE SEAT WAS NOT OCCUPIED. THE CAR WAS SENT FOR REPAIR. ON THE FIRST OCCASION IT WAS INDICATED THE WIRING IS LOOSE FOR THE SEAT BELT HARNESS SO IT WAS TIGHTENED. ON THE SECOND OCCASION THE CAR WAS SENT TO DEALERSHIP IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HARNESS WIRING TRACK COULD COME LOOSE AND THEREFORE HAD TO BE REROUTED.

Mileage: 12,000

20170415UNKNOWN OR OTHER

ACTIVE PDC FAILS ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN WAS RELEASED IN MARCH 2017 BY BMW AND NEW SOFTWARE WAS DOWNLOADED. DESPITE THE NEW SOFTWARE DOWNLOADED TO VEHICLE THERE CONTINUES TO BE INCIDENTS POST THAT WHEN THE ACTIVE PDC FAILS TO ACTIVATE. BMW CONTINUES TO CLAIM THE FEATURE WORKS AS DESIGNED BUT THERE IS NEVER ANY EXPLANATION BY THE DEALER WHY IT IS BY DESIGN. FOREMAN AT THE BMW DEALERSHIP WHERE HE WITNESSED MULTIPLE FAILURES OF IT ARGUED THAT I CAN SEE THE CAR IS GOING TO HIT ANOTHER CAR OR AN OBJECT SO WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO HAVE IT ACTIVATE? THIS ARGUMENT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE, BECAUSE THE FEATURE SHOULD WORK, AND IF YOU KNOW CAR IS GOING TO HIT ANOTHER CAR OR OBJECT THEN YOU SHOULD EXPECT FEATURE TO ACTIVATE OTHERWISE WHY IS THE FEATURE. DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT WOULD NOT ACCEPT TO DOCUMENT THE FAILURES IN THE SERVICE ORDER OR THE ARGUMENTS FOREMAN MADE.

Mileage: 2,696

20170308ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

AUDIO CONTROL SYSTEM FREEZES ON THE BMW 740I. IT HAPPENS THAT AUDIO IS GONE COMPLETELY, SYSTEM DOES NOT RESPOND TO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING TO RAISE VOLUME: 1. GESTURE COMMANDS TO RAISE VOLUME (THE SYSTEM DOES NOT EVEN SHOW GESTURE IS INVOLVED ON THE DASH DISPLAY) 2. FROM THE POWER BUTTON BY MANUALLY ADJUSTING HIGHER, THERE IS NO RESPONSE FROM SYSTEM AT ALL AND DASH SCREEN DOES NOT SHOW VOLUME INCREASE IS BEING ATTEMPTED. 3. FROM THE VOLUME UP BUTTON ON THE STEERING WHEEL, AGAIN NO SIGN ON DASH SCREEN THAT VOLUME INCREASE IS BEING ATTEMPTED.

Mileage: 1,924

20170220VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE PROBLEM IS CENTERED AROUND ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM OF BMW 740I 2016. BMW 740I CAN'T DETECT VEHICLES FROM THE RIGHT CORNER OR LEFT CORNER WHEN TWO LANES MERGE INTO ONE AND THE BMW IS APPROACHING THE OTHER VEHICLE WHERE THE OTHER VEHICLE IS EITHER AT FRONT RIGHT OR LEFT RIGHT. THERE ARE MULTIPLE SYMPTOMS OF THIS PROBLEM: FIRST SYMPTOM, BMW 740I IS NOT TRACKING ANY VEHICLE AND COCKPIT DOES NOT SHOW A TRACKED VEHICLE. A CAR OR BIG TRUCK IS IN THE SECOND LANE MERGING FROM EITHER CORNER, BMW 740I DOES NOT DETECT THOUGH THERE WAS ENOUGH TIME AND DISTANCE TO DETECT. IN ONE EXAMPLE THERE WAS 18 WHEELER MERGING LANE AND BMW NEVER DETECTED THE 18 WHEELER THOUGH MAJORITY OF THE 18 WHEELER WAS AHEAD OF THE BMW FROM THE RIGHT CORNER. SECOND SYMPTOM IS BMW 740I IS TRACKING ANOTHER VEHICLE, WHEN TWO LANES MERGE THERE IS A CAR FROM THE OTHER LANE COMING IN FRONT FROM THE RIGHT CORNER OR LEFT CORNER, BMW NEVER SLOWS DOWN FURTHER SINCE THAT VEHICLE IS ALREADY NOW IN VIEW OF THE BMW. M

Mileage: 1,339

20170127ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2016 BMW 740I IS EQUIPMENT WITH AUTOMATIC PARK DISTANCE CONTROL SYSTEM (PDC) THAT AUTOMATICALLY ACTIVATES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS CLOSE TO AN OBSTACLE WHEN DRIVING AT VERY LOW SPEED. THE SYSTEM IS VERY FLAKY IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCE, SOMETIMES IT ACTIVATES WHEN IT IS 2 FT AWAY FROM OBJECT AND MANY TIMES IT ACTIVATES WHEN IT IS ONLY 2 INCHES AWAY. IN SOME INSTANCE IT FAILS TO ACTIVATE COMPLETELY SO MANUAL INTERVENTION IS REQUIRED TO ACTIVATE SENSORS. DEALER TRIED REPAIRING TWICE INCLUDING NEW SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD AND CALIBRATION OF SENSORS BUT THE PROBLEMS PERSISTS AND THEY SAY NOTHING IS WRONG. *TR

Mileage: 669

20170125VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL AND PEDESTRIAN DETECTION FEATURE. THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL MISSES TO ADAPT SPEED OR STOP OR DETECT A VEHICLE IN FRONT REQUIRING DRIVER INTERVENTION TO AVOID A COLLISION. I HAVE SEEN MULTIPLE SYMPTOMS OF THIS PROBLEM OCCURRING. SYMPTOM 1: VEHICLE BMW WITH ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL IS TRACKING ANOTHER VEHICLE AND ADAPTING SPEED HOWEVER FOR UNKNOWN REASON IT LATER FAILS TO START THE PROCESS OF SLOWING DOWN AND COLLISION ALARM IS SOUNDED SYMPTOM 2: VEHICLE BMW IS TRACKING ANOTHER VEHICLE AND ADAPTING SPEED ON LANE 1; UPON BMW SWITCHING LANES TO ANOTHER CLEAR LANE THE CAR ACCELERATES TO REACH TARGET SPEED AND THOUGH IT DETECTS ANOTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT IT FAILS TO START SLOWING DOWN. DRIVER INTERVENTION IS REQUIRED TO BRAKE AND SLOW DOWN. SYMPTOM 3: SAME AS DRIVING CONDITION IN SYMPTOM 2 EXCEPT THAT UPON LANE SWITCH THE BMW FAILS COMPLETELY TO DETECT A VEHICLE PARKED IN THE SECOND LANE AND KEEP GOING ON AT SAME SPEED. DRIVER INTERVEN

Mileage: 400

Compare 2016BMW740I to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2016 BMW 740I have?
The 2016 BMW 740I has 14 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 BMW 740I?
The most-complained component for the 2016 BMW 740I is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 2016 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.