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1997 BMW 740

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

About this comparison →
8Owner complaints

Model-year median: 5

0Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

View investigation details →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
3
19947
19951
19968
19979
1998
Compare all 740 years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Air Bags
3Engine And Engine Cooling
2Fuel System, Gasoline
1Power Train
1Seat Belts
1
All reported categories
Seats
1Visibility
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 1 of 8 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

Fuel System, Gasoline complaints

1 reports
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Mileage unknown · Sep 25, 1999
Fuel System, Gasoline

HI, I AM NOT SURE IF THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT OR NOT. I HAD A SOUND LIKE AN EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING OF METAL IN THE BACK UNDERNEATH OF CAR. IT SOUNDED LIKE A COOKIE SHEET WHEN IT IS FIRST HEATING UP IN THE OVEN AND IT EXPANDS AND CONTRACTS. THE DEALER COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN BUT SAID THAT THEY WERE GOING TO…

Read full complaint

HI, I AM NOT SURE IF THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT OR NOT. I HAD A SOUND LIKE AN EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING OF METAL IN THE BACK UNDERNEATH OF CAR. IT SOUNDED LIKE A COOKIE SHEET WHEN IT IS FIRST HEATING UP IN THE OVEN AND IT EXPANDS AND CONTRACTS. THE DEALER COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN BUT SAID THAT THEY WERE GOING TO CALL BMW TECHNICAL SUPPORT BECAUSE THEY HAD A THEORY THAT A SPIDER WAS CLOGGING UP THE FUEL LINE AND THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE TO THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND RESULTED IN THE GAS TANK COLLAPSING. I BROUGHT CAR IN AGAIN AND THEY SAID THEY REMOVED A SPIDER AND PUT IN A NEW PIPE/LINE. THE SOUND I HAD HEARD BEFORE WAS GONE. SOME PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME, HOWEVER, THAT THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A CLOSED SYSTEM AND THAT THIS COULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. IS IT POSSIBLE? IS PROBLEM FIXED?

NHTSA ODI #712110

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.