Total Complaints
2 filings
BMW 840CI · model year
1997 BMW 840CI
2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997BMW840CI carries 2 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 1997 840CI is exterior lighting:headlights with 2 filings. 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 1997 840CI. 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.
2
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 |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 2 |
Recent Complaints
20060314EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
1. HEADLIGHT ADJUSTERS FALL OFF AND THE POP-UP HEADLIGHTS TILT DOWN. 2. VISIBILITY BECOMES POOR AT NIGHT - A SAFETY PROBLEM. 3. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER - PARTS ON BACKORDER SINCE AT LEAST NOVEMBER 4, 2005. NO REPAIR IS POSSIBLE WITHOUT PARTS. DEALER SAYS 139 PART KITS ARE ON BACKORDER AS OF 3/12/06, INDICATING WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH VERY RARE CAR. *NM
Mileage: 81,000
20020904EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
ADJUSTERS FALL OFF AND THE HEADLIGHTS TILT DOWN AND VISIBILITY BECOMES VERY POOR AT NIGHT.
Compare 1997BMW840CI to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 BMW 840CI have?▼
The 1997 BMW 840CI has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 BMW 840CI?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 BMW 840CI is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1997 BMW 840CI 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.