Total Complaints
8 filings
BMW 850 · model year
1997 BMW 850
8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997BMW850 carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 1 fire, 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 850 is air bags:frontal with 2 filings, followed by unknown or other (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 1997 850. 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.
8
Complaints
1
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 2 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040504CrashAIR BAGS
CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT AND ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT IT HEAD ON. DRIVER OF THE OTHER CAR WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 40 MPH. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *AK
Mileage: 118,000
20000908FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
ELECTRICAL SHORT UNDER THE DASH RESULTED IN FIRE.YH
19990921ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
EGR SENSOR FAILED TWICE. *YC
19990730ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ALTERNATOR FAILED. *YC
19990618ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BATTERY FAILED. *YC
19990422UNKNOWN OR OTHER
ASH TRAY MALFUNCTIONED. *YC
19970721AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING 45-50 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A DIRECT FRONTAL IMPACT, AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *AK
19970721AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING 45-50 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A DIRECT FRONTAL IMPACT, AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *AK
Compare 1997BMW850 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 BMW 850 have?▼
The 1997 BMW 850 has 8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 BMW 850?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 BMW 850 is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY.
Is the 1997 BMW 850 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.