The 1998 BMW 740ila has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 1,100 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE DIFFERENTIAL PINION SHAFT WITHIN THE DIFFERENTIAL CASE ASSEMBLY WAS PRODUCED WITHOUT THE APPROPRIATE SURFACE HARDENING. THIS CAN RESULT IN THE SHAFT EXPERIENCING PREMATURE WEAR.
THIS CONDITION WILL CAUSE A NOISE FROM THE DIFFERENTIAL AND, ULTIMATELY, FAILURE OF THE SHAFT AND LOSS OF DRIVE.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ENTIRE DIFFERENTIAL ASSEMBLY.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Transmission problems - 1998 740il. I bought a cpo bmw 740il with 35,000 miles. Now I have 65,600 miles on the car and I too am having issues with the transmission. While the car was under cpo warranty, I had taken the car to the dealership when I was getting a check trans message, which I have…”
“My car stumbled less than a mile from my house. A few hundred feet later it stalled completely. At first the garage thought it was a failed fuel pump. After replacing the pump, the car stumbled again and the ecu (engine computer) caught fire. After towing the car to a second garage they found a…”
“My car stumbled less than a mile from my house. A few hundred feet later it stalled completely. At first the garage thought it was a failed fuel pump. After replacing the pump, the car stumbled again and the ecu (engine computer) caught fire. After towing the car to a second garage they found a…”
“While driving vehicle shuts down and everything lock ups - steering included.”
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 740ila as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.