The 2012 BMW 740li has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 8,752 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 8 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the power train. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
POWER TRAIN17V0670002017-02-028,752 affected
Defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 1 Series M Coupe and 135i Convertible vehicles, 2011 Z4 sDrive 35i, 335i, 335d, 335i Coupe, 335is Coupe, 335i Convertible, 335is Convertible, 535i, 535i xDrive, 535i Gran Turismo and 550i xDrive Gran Turismo vehicles and 2012 740i and 740Li…
Consequence
If the CV joint breaks, the vehicle may have a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear driveshaft CV joint and, based on its production date, will replace it, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Complaints by component
POWER TRAIN
3
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
1
ENGINE
1
FIRERELATED
1
1fires1injuries
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1
SUSPENSION
1
Total complaints8
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“The contact owns a 2012 bmw 740li sedan. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 mph when the vehicle backfired which resulted in the vehicle exploding. The drive train malfunction warning light was illuminated. There was black smoking coming from the rear passenger side of the vehicle…”
“While driving at the speed of 55 mph, a warning sounds (dings) as my car reads drive train malfunction and it reduces speed. It also says (reads) driving comfort restricted and it stops automatically as I'm driving.”
“While driving at the speed of 55 mph, a warning sounds (dings) as my car reads drive train malfunction and it reduces speed. It also says (reads) driving comfort restricted and it stops automatically as I'm driving.”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2012 bmw 740li. When the contact attempted to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated and then lunged forward. The failure occurred often. During the failure, the "power train malfunctioning" message appeared on the instrument panel. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.…”
“Drivetrain signal came on light in car started to turn on and off gearshift became real cold started to slow down only allow to go 50 mph”
“Drivetrain signal came on light in car started to turn on and off gearshift became real cold started to slow down only allow to go 50 mph”
“Drivetrain signal came on light in car started to turn on and off gearshift became real cold started to slow down only allow to go 50 mph”
“Engine over heat, lost power in the middle of the road while crossing across the road. Got message saying this contact service center immediately.”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2012 BMW 740li as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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