1998 BMW 740il Recalls

No recalls on record Updated July 2026

No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1998 BMW 740il. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 49 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
6
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
4
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
3
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
3
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
2
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
2
AIR BAGS
1
Total complaints49

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“The alarm system runs down the battery and the head lights blanks constantly while car is running also back taillight goes off on on on passage side . *tr”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2015-03-24

“The alarm system runs down the battery and the head lights blanks constantly while car is running also back taillight goes off on on on passage side . *tr”

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) · reported 2015-03-24

“The alarm system runs down the battery and the head lights blanks constantly while car is running also back taillight goes off on on on passage side . *tr”

EXTERIOR LIGHTING · reported 2015-03-24

“The alarm system runs down the battery and the head lights blanks constantly while car is running also back taillight blank off on passage side. *tr”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2015-03-24

“The alarm system runs down the battery and the head lights blanks constantly while car is running also back taillight blank off on passage side. *tr”

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) · reported 2015-03-24

“I was driving my bmw 740il on 2-17-2015 when after getting onto the highway and accelerating, there was a loud boom noise and black pieces shot out onto the road in front of me. I immediately got off the first exit only to find that 1.) the car wouldn't stop after I applied the brakes, and 2.) the…”

SERVICE BRAKES · reported 2015-02-17

“I was driving my bmw 740il on 2-17-2015 when after getting onto the highway and accelerating, there was a loud boom noise and black pieces shot out onto the road in front of me. I immediately got off the first exit only to find that 1.) the car wouldn't stop after I applied the brakes, and 2.) the…”

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL · reported 2015-02-17

“I was driving my bmw 740il on 2-17-2015 when after getting onto the highway and accelerating, there was a loud boom noise and black pieces shot out onto the road in front of me. I immediately got off the first exit only to find that 1.) the car wouldn't stop after I applied the brakes, and 2.) the…”

ENGINE · reported 2015-02-17
Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1998 BMW 740il as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.