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1998 BMW 740IL

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

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

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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

What owners reported most

All reported categories

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

20 reports with mileage · 6 unknown

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.

  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

Fuel System, Gasoline complaints

6 reports
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120,000 miles · Aug 15, 2011
Fuel System, Gasoline

FUEL TANK "TIN CANS" WHEN LOWER ON FUEL. FEAR DEGRADATION OF FUEL TANK. FROM OTHER SOURCES, THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH BMWS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10419549

178,000 miles · Sep 1, 2010
Fuel System, Gasoline

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BMW 740IL. WHILE REFUELING HE NOTICED GAS WAS LEAKING FORM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. ONCE HE STOPPED PUMPING GAS IT STOPPED LEAKING. THIS FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER HE WOULD REFUEL THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE EXAMINED FOR THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. OVER TIME HE BEGAN TO HEAR A THUMPING NOIS…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BMW 740IL. WHILE REFUELING HE NOTICED GAS WAS LEAKING FORM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. ONCE HE STOPPED PUMPING GAS IT STOPPED LEAKING. THIS FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER HE WOULD REFUEL THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE EXAMINED FOR THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. OVER TIME HE BEGAN TO HEAR A THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FUEL TANK WHILE DRIVING OR STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THERE WAS A SPLIT ON ONE OF THE SEEMS FOR THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO ANOTHER INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE FUEL TANK WAS REPAIRED. THE THUMPING FAILURE CONTINUED TO RECUR SO THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED. THE THUMPING FAILURE CONTINUES TO RECUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 178,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

NHTSA ODI #10353331

175,000 miles · Jul 8, 2009
Fuel System, Gasoline

I HAVE A 98 BMW 740IL THAT SUCKS ITSELF AND IT HAS LEAD TO THE GAS TO DENT AND CRACK AND LEAK GAS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10276151

210,106 miles · Feb 5, 2009
Fuel System, Gasoline

HI, I BROUGHT THIS CAR FROM ANOTHER PERSON (ORIGINAL OWNER),HE TOLD ME THAT THE CAR MAKES A WEIRD NOISE WHEN SITTING OR DRIVING HE COULDN'T TELL ME WHY IT WAS HAPPENING UPON FURTHER INSPECTION FOUND FUEL TANK TO BE SUCKING IN AND OUT I DIDN'T PAY TO MUCH ATTENTION THINKING WASN'T MUCH TO IT UNTIL ONE DAY WENT TO REFUEL VEHICLE …

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HI, I BROUGHT THIS CAR FROM ANOTHER PERSON (ORIGINAL OWNER),HE TOLD ME THAT THE CAR MAKES A WEIRD NOISE WHEN SITTING OR DRIVING HE COULDN'T TELL ME WHY IT WAS HAPPENING UPON FURTHER INSPECTION FOUND FUEL TANK TO BE SUCKING IN AND OUT I DIDN'T PAY TO MUCH ATTENTION THINKING WASN'T MUCH TO IT UNTIL ONE DAY WENT TO REFUEL VEHICLE WASN'T ABLE TO GET ANY GAS INTO VEHICLE,UPON INSPECTION FOUND GAS TANK HAD IMPLODED BEYOND REPAIR,I SPOKE TO AN ADVISOR AT LOCAL BMW DEALER IF THERE WAS ANY BULLETINS ON ISSUE HE TOLD ME NO AT FIRST,HE THEN ASKED A TECH AT DEALER ABOUT ISSUE HE SAID THE EVAP CANISTER SYSTEM HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH ,SO THERE IS SOME KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ISSUE MY QUESTION IS DUE THINK THAT THERE SHOULD OF A RECALL OR CAMPAIGN OUT THERE REGARDLESS OF YEAR OF VEHICLE SINCE I THINK ITS A SAFETY ISSUE TO ME AND MY FAMILY AS WELL AS TO THE NEXT PERSON WHO GETS THIS VEHICLE,ASWELL ITS VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR WHEN I BELIEVE ITS BMW RESPONSIBILITY TO RECALL ALL THESE DANGEROUS TANK ISSUE. HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME AND GUIDE ME IN RIGHT DIRECTION RESOLVE PROBLEM OVERALL I LIKE THE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10257572

199,562 miles · Feb 29, 2008
Fuel System, Gasoline

NOTICE A BUMPING SOUND FOR REAR OF CAR WHEN STOPPED AND RUNNING. FUEL TANK IS IMPLODING!! ALSO, NOTICED THAT GAS TANK MAKES A WHOOSING/SUCKING SOUND WHINE THE GAS CAP IS REMOVED. HEAVY GAS FUMES WHEN THE CAR IS SITTING. NOTICED VERY STRONG GAS FUMES.....GAS TANK IS NOW LEAKING! I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND A…

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NOTICE A BUMPING SOUND FOR REAR OF CAR WHEN STOPPED AND RUNNING. FUEL TANK IS IMPLODING!! ALSO, NOTICED THAT GAS TANK MAKES A WHOOSING/SUCKING SOUND WHINE THE GAS CAP IS REMOVED. HEAVY GAS FUMES WHEN THE CAR IS SITTING. NOTICED VERY STRONG GAS FUMES.....GAS TANK IS NOW LEAKING! I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND AM AWAITING TO HERE BACK FORM THEM. WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A NORMAL ISSUE WITH THE 740IL. WAS TOLD THAT I NEED TO HAVE THE TANK REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A NEW UNIT. QUITE COSTLY!!! WAS TOLD THAT BMW HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR VENT LINES BUT THEY WERE NOT VERY HELPFUL. CALLED SALVAGE YARDS HOPING TO FIND A USED TANK AND WAS TOLD THAT 740 TANKS ARE VERY HARD TO FIND BECAUSE THEY ALL SPRING LEAKS. IF THIS IS HAPPENING OFTEN WHY NOT HAVE BMW ADDRESS THE ISSUE?? *TR

NHTSA ODI #10219753

Mileage unknown · Jun 7, 2005
Electrical SystemFuel System, Gasoline

DT: THE CONSUMER STATES APPROXIMATELY 4 DAYS AGO THE CLUSTER ON THE DASH WENT OUT THE TURN SIGNAL STOPPED WORKING ON THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, BUT THEY WERE WORKING ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. CALLED DEALERSHIP, THEY INFORMED CONTACT TO BRING IN THE VEHICLE. MONDAY, MAY 9, THE VEHICLE STARTED CHUGGING, AS IF RUNNING OUT OF…

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DT: THE CONSUMER STATES APPROXIMATELY 4 DAYS AGO THE CLUSTER ON THE DASH WENT OUT THE TURN SIGNAL STOPPED WORKING ON THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, BUT THEY WERE WORKING ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. CALLED DEALERSHIP, THEY INFORMED CONTACT TO BRING IN THE VEHICLE. MONDAY, MAY 9, THE VEHICLE STARTED CHUGGING, AS IF RUNNING OUT OF GASOLINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE FUEL TANK. THE CONTACT SEARCHED THE VEHICLE BUT HE DID NOT SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE FUEL TANK. *NM *SB THE CONSUMER FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS HAS BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE REAR LIGHTS (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER HAS CHANGED THE BULBS FOR THE LIGHTS SEVERAL TIMES AND THE SAME PROBLEM OCCUR. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY DETERMINED THAT IT IS A DEFECT IN THE REAR LIGHTS, SUCH AS MELTING PLASTIC CONCEPTS, AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED. BY THE REAR LIGHTS GOING OUT AND HAVING A DEFECT IN THEM THIS CAN CAUSE A REAR END ACCIDENT, WHICH THE CONSUMER IS WORRIED ABOUT. *SB

NHTSA ODI #10120642

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

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No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.