Total Complaints
4 filings
BMW 740ILA · model year
1998 BMW 740ILA
4 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 1998BMW740ILA carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 2 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 1998 740ILA is unknown or other with 1 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (1) and fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump (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 1998 740ILA. 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.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
2
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 |
|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20080220FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
MY CAR STUMBLED LESS THAN A MILE FROM MY HOUSE. A FEW HUNDRED FEET LATER IT STALLED COMPLETELY. AT FIRST THE GARAGE THOUGHT IT WAS A FAILED FUEL PUMP. AFTER REPLACING THE PUMP, THE CAR STUMBLED AGAIN AND THE ECU (ENGINE COMPUTER) CAUGHT FIRE. AFTER TOWING THE CAR TO A SECOND GARAGE THEY FOUND A BAD GROUND ON THE HARNESS COMING OFF OF THE THERMOSTAT THAT CAUSED THE FUEL PUMP TO FAIL AS WELL AS THE ECU FIRE. THEY ALSO FOUND THAT THE EGS (TRANSMISSION COMPUTER) HAD BEEN DESTROYED BY THIS BAD GROUND ALSO. TOTAL REPAIR BILL FOR THIS FAILURE, ~$4500. *TR
Mileage: 103,000
20080220FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
MY CAR STUMBLED LESS THAN A MILE FROM MY HOUSE. A FEW HUNDRED FEET LATER IT STALLED COMPLETELY. AT FIRST THE GARAGE THOUGHT IT WAS A FAILED FUEL PUMP. AFTER REPLACING THE PUMP, THE CAR STUMBLED AGAIN AND THE ECU (ENGINE COMPUTER) CAUGHT FIRE. AFTER TOWING THE CAR TO A SECOND GARAGE THEY FOUND A BAD GROUND ON THE HARNESS COMING OFF OF THE THERMOSTAT THAT CAUSED THE FUEL PUMP TO FAIL AS WELL AS THE ECU FIRE. THEY ALSO FOUND THAT THE EGS (TRANSMISSION COMPUTER) HAD BEEN DESTROYED BY THIS BAD GROUND ALSO. TOTAL REPAIR BILL FOR THIS FAILURE, ~$4500. *TR
Mileage: 103,000
20070724POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS - 1998 740IL. I BOUGHT A CPO BMW 740IL WITH 35,000 MILES. NOW I HAVE 65,600 MILES ON THE CAR AND I TOO AM HAVING ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION. WHILE THE CAR WAS UNDER CPO WARRANTY, I HAD TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHEN I WAS GETTING A CHECK TRANS MESSAGE, WHICH I HAVE SERVICE RECORDS FOR. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ERROR, SAYING THAT THEY COULD NOT READ THE CODE ON THE COMPUTER. WELL NOW THE TRANSMISSION WON\'T GO IN PARK OR REVERSE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THE CAR IS OUT OF CP WARRANTY. DAMAGE RESULTING = LOOKS LIKE I HAVE TO PAY $7,000 FOR A TRANSMISSION THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY, AS THE WARRANTY ON THE CAR HAS EXPIRED. THE CAR IS NOT WORTH MORE THAN $12,000 NOW. *TR
Mileage: 65,630
19980616UNKNOWN OR OTHER
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN AND EVERYTHING LOCK UPS - STEERING INCLUDED.
Compare 1998BMW740ILA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 BMW 740ILA have?▼
The 1998 BMW 740ILA has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 BMW 740ILA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 BMW 740ILA is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP.
Is the 1998 BMW 740ILA 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 1998 BMW 740ILA; 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.