2001 BMW 740IL problems & reliability
26 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 BMW 740IL, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 8, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 5 | 19% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 19% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 15% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 12% |
| Power Train | 3 | 12% |
| Steering | 2 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 8% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 4% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 4% |
| Seats | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 14 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“"takata recall" my car brake lights just started to stay eliminated when I am driving. The steering wheel also adjusts on its on up and down while driving. The is when the vechile is in motion on any highway”
Service Brakes · filed Jun 21, 2019
“I would like to report that the airbag control modules in the bmw 7 series from model year 1995 to 2001 have airbag control modules that are failing at a very high rate, leaving owners without airbags and the airbag warning light on. The new module from bmw is $1400. This is happening more frequently to cars in cold…”
Air Bags · filed Sep 9, 2018
“Lcd pixel failure dashboard instrument cluster warning indicators unable to see safety and engine warnings”
Electrical System · filed Jun 24, 2017
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
8 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2001 BMW 740IL.
The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
B510819 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2024
Engine will crank but not start. There is no communication with the integrated fuel module (TFE) whendiagnosing with ISTA. The following two fault codes will be stored in the DME: 032B43 - Low fuel pressure system…
B160623 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 20, 2023
Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle. Depending on the vehicleâ  s equipment and settings, no acoustic or optical confirmation (folding the…
B653423 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 22, 2023
Radio / Navigation / Head Unit Identification Guide
B650916 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2018
SERVICE ACTION: PROGRAM DME: The incorrect dataset could be programmed into DME 5.2.1 control module.
B122917 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2017
Bmw: procedure for determining and replacing incandescent and halogen light bulbs under warranty. *rm
SIB-63-02-01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2010
Bmw: a new technical process has been created for bmw to identify causes of steering complaints with a wide range of models. *rm
SIB-32-04-07 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2010
Bmw vehicles: fuel level sensor repairs. Where it is necessary to replace the right or the left side fuel level sensor due to a failure, the entire pump and housing or delivery unit (suction jet assembly) do not need to…
SIB-16-02-09 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2009
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2001 BMW 740IL has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2001 BMW 740IL?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.