Total Complaints
7 filings
BMW 740IL · model year
1999 BMW 740IL
7 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1999BMW740IL carries 7 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 1999 740IL is electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery:cables with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling (1) and electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery (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 740IL. 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.
7
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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| VISIBILITY | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20090916POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
PREMATURE WEAR OF THE RING GEAR LEAD TO MY REVERSE NOT WORKING IN MY TRANSMISSION. I HAD MY TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT AAMCO TRANSMISSIONS. *TR
Mileage: 139,245
20070725VISIBILITY
THE DOUBLE GLAZING GLASS ON MY 1999 BMW 740IL STARTED DELAMINATING AND HAS STEADILY GOTTEN WORSE, I KNOW OF MANY BMW OWNERS WHO COMPLAIN OF THIS DEFECT AND BMWNA IS ACTING LIKE THERE IS NOT ANY PROBLEM. I WENT INTO MY LOCAL BMW DEALER AND THEY SAY EVERY CAR THAT THEY SEE WITH DOUBLE GLAZING IS DELAMINATING! I THINK THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT THAT CAN IMPAIR A DRIVERS VIEW WHILE DRIVING AS WELL. *TR
Mileage: 85,002
20050804SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON DURING A HARD STOP. THE LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF AT WILL NOW. ABS CONTROLLER HAS FAILED ACCORDING TO DEALERSHIP. NO ABS BRAKE CONTROL OR TRACTION CONTROL. DEALERSHIP COMPUTER FIRST SAID IT WAS THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL SENSOR. REPLACED THAT AND THE SAME LIGHT WAS ON AGAIN. BROUGHT IT BACK AND THEN THEY SAY IT IS THE ABS CONTROLLER. THEY WANT $850.00 FOR THE CONTROLLER. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE UNDER WARRANTY. *JB
Mileage: 120,000
20040511ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BATTERY EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING. *AK
Mileage: 37,000
20030629ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
FAN CLUTCH BEARING SEIZED WHILE DRIVING HIGH RPM; FAN BLADE BROKE, BROKE DRIVE BELTS, HOSES, WATER PUMP, SHROUD, RADIATOR, AND DAMAGED HOOD. *NLM
Mileage: 59,094
20020514ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND IT STALLED WHILE DRIVING PRIOR TO RECALL. THE DEALER STATES THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED, BUT THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED. *YH
20011016ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND IT STALLED WHILE DRIVING PRIOR TO RECALL. THE DEALER STATES THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED, BUT THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED. *YH
Compare 1999BMW740IL to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1999 BMW 740IL have?▼
The 1999 BMW 740IL has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 BMW 740IL?▼
The most-complained component for the 1999 BMW 740IL is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY.
Is the 1999 BMW 740IL 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.