Total Complaints
7 filings
BMW 740IL · model year
1999 BMW 740IL
7 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
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.
The most frequently selected component label in reports 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). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 1999 740IL. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1999 BMW 740IL; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.