We are 103,000+ car owners sharing real-world car information.

Join Us

BMW 7-Series Recalls

sort by date
Recall Date Problem Area Recall Text
04/21/17 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 vehicles. the rear driveshaft constant velocity (cv) joint on the affected vehicles may fatigue and break.

If the cv joint breaks, the vehicle may have a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash.

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.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
08/29/14 BMW of north america llc (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2006 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi sedans and 325xi sports wagons, model year 2007 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi sedans and 328i and 328xi sports wagons, model year 2006-2007 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, 550i sedans and 530xi sports wagons, model year 2006 760i sedans, model year 2006-2007 750i, 750li, and 760li sedans, and model year 2006 x5 sports activity vehicles, equipped with certain seat types. the front passenger seat occupant detection mat that determines if and how the passenger frontal air bag should deploy in a crash may fatigue and develop cracks which could lead to a system failure.

Should the system fail, in the event of a crash, the front passenger air bag would be deactivated, increasing the risk of personal injury.

BMW will notify owners with an interim notification letter in january 2014 since parts are not currently available. when parts are available, BMW sent a second letter in august and dealers will repair the occupant detection mat to eliminate the possibility that it may crack, free of charge. additionally, owners of model year 2006-2007 3 series with standard seats, 5 series with comfort seats, and z4 models, will receive an extended warranty on their front passenger seat occupant detection mat. owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at customerrelations@BMWusa.com.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
03/20/13 BMW is recalling certain model year 2005-2008 7-series vehicles, equipped with the comfort access option, and manufactured august 23, 2004, through july 24, 2008. the affected vehicles have an electronic key and an electronic connection between the gear shifter and the transmission (shift-by-wire) that automatically shifts the transmission to park when the driver presses the start/stop button to shutdown the engine. if the driver presses the engine start/stop button 2 or 3 times within a short time interval, the system may shift the transmission to neutral rather than park. if using the electronic key (comfort access mode), there would be no protection from the ignition interlock that prevents key removal if the vehicle is not in park.

If the driver exits the vehicle with the transmission in neutral and the parking brake is not applied, the vehicle may rollaway. unattended rollaway incidents often result in a crash or cause injury to pedestrians attempting to stop or enter the vehicle or to other bystanders in the path of the vehicle.

BMW will notify owners beginning in november 2012. the remedy became available in march 2013. owners may call BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at customerrelations@BMWusa.com.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
04/30/12 BMW is recalling certain model year 2011 5-series, 5-series gran turismo, model year 2012 6-series convertible, 7-series, x5 sav, and x6 sav vehicles equipped with 8- or 12-cylinder, turbocharged, engines because the circuit board for the electric auxiliary water pump can overheat.

This could lead to a smoldering of the pump or an engine compartment or vehicle fire.

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the auxiliary water pump free of charge. the safety recall began on april 30, 2012. owners may contact BMW customer relations and services at 1-800-525-7417.

This recall is an expansion of safety recall 11v521.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
07/16/04 On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 8 and 12 cylinder engines, the digital engine management control (emc) units were not produced according to specifications.

As a result, engine stalling will occur after a short period of operation. the vehicle may not be able to restart. also, a loss of power steering and, after repeated actuation of the brake pedal, a loss of brake power assist will occur. these conditions could result in a vehicle crash.

Dealers will install a new digital engine management control unit. the recall began on july 16, 2004. owners should contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.

Customers can contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
09/28/01 Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. the engine auxiliary/cooling fan operation, including variable speed, is electronically controlled. failure of the fan motor can cause the electrical circuitry of the fan control unit to overload and fail, causing the fan to stop operating.

If this were to occur, engine overheating and subsequent engine damage could result. in addition, it is possible for the failure of the electrical circuitry to cause a fire in the fan control unit located in the front of the engine compartment.

Dealers will replace the fan. owner notification began september 28, 2001. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.

Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
12/31/69 BMW of north america, llc (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 BMW 550i, 550i xdrive, 550i gran turismo, 550i gran turismo xdrive, 750i, 750li, 750i xdrive, 750li xdrive, 760li, x5 xdrive50i, x5 m, x6 xdrive50i, x6 m, activehybrid7, mini cooper s convertible, john cooper works (jcw) convertible, cooper s countryman, cooper s countryman all4, cooper s, jcw, cooper s clubman, jcw clubman, cooper s roadster, jcw roadster, cooper s coupe, jcw coupe and rolls-royce ghost, 2011 BMW x6 hybrid and 2012 BMW 650i coupe, 650i xdrive coupe, 650i convertible and 650i xdrive convertible vehicles. the electric auxiliary water pump may fail and cause the circuit board to overheat.

If the circuit board were to overheat, it can increase the risk of a fire.

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the electric auxiliary water pump, free of charge. depending on the model, there are currently limited parts available, however not all parts are available at this time. owners will be notified of the recall beginning june 11, 2018, and will receive a second notification when remedy parts become available. owners may contact BMW customer service at BMW 1-800-525-7417, mini at 1-866-825-1525, or rolls-royce at 1-877-877-3735. note: BMW recommends that owners park their vehicle outdoors until the recall remedy has been performed.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
03/20/13 Engine BMW is recalling certain model year 2005-2008 7-series vehicles, equipped with the comfort access option, and manufactured august 23, 2004, through july 24, 2008. the affected vehicles have an electronic key and an electronic connection between the gear shifter and the transmission (shift-by-wire) that automatically shifts the transmission to park when the driver presses the start/stop button to shutdown the engine. if the driver presses the engine start/stop button 2 or 3 times within a short time interval, the system may shift the transmission to neutral rather than park. if using the electronic key (comfort access mode), there would be no protection from the ignition interlock that prevents key removal if the vehicle is not in park.

If the driver exits the vehicle with the transmission in neutral and the parking brake is not applied, the vehicle may rollaway. unattended rollaway incidents often result in a crash or cause injury to pedestrians attempting to stop or enter the vehicle or to other bystanders in the path of the vehicle.

BMW will notify owners beginning in november 2012. the remedy became available in march 2013. owners may call BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at customerrelations@BMWusa.com.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
09/12/03 Engine On certain passenger vehicles, the engine oil filter drain plug may be insufficiently tightened. this could lead to loosening of the plug causing an initial oil spray and a subsequent oil leak.

If a large amount of oil loss occurs, engine damage may result. depending on the extent of the damage, a crash could occur.

Dealers will inspect the torque of the oil filter drain plug and, if necessary, retighten the drain plug with the correctly specified torque. owner notification began on september 12, 2003. owners should contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.

Customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
07/08/03 Engine On certain passenger vehicles, due to a software error, a desynchronization of the valvetronic motors for engine banks i and ii may occur. if this occurs, the engine could stall.

In those cases, the driver may not be able to restart the engine. depending on the level of engine roughness, or stalling, as well as traffic conditions and the driver's reactions, this could lead to a crash.

Dealers will reprogram the digital engine management control unit. owner notification began july 8, 2003. owners should contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.

Customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
Looking for a warranty? Get a quote.
06/28/02 Engine On certain passenger vehicles, the electric fuel pump runs at a rotational speed that could result in reduced lubrication of its internal components. over an extended period of time, wear-induced internal damage to the fuel pump could result in insufficient fuel supply to the engine when the fuel tank contains one-third or less of its maximum fuel capacity.

If this were to occur, the engine could stall and not be restarted until more fuel was added to the fuel tank. this could occur even though the fuel gauge indicated that fuel still remained in the tank.

Dealers will reprogram the fuel pump control system. owner notification began june 28, 2002. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact BMW at 1-800-332-4269.

Customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
12/31/69 Engine BMW of north america, llc (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 BMW 550i, 550i xdrive, 550i gran turismo, 550i gran turismo xdrive, 750i, 750li, 750i xdrive, 750li xdrive, 760li, x5 xdrive50i, x5 m, x6 xdrive50i, x6 m, activehybrid7, mini cooper s convertible, john cooper works (jcw) convertible, cooper s countryman, cooper s countryman all4, cooper s, jcw, cooper s clubman, jcw clubman, cooper s roadster, jcw roadster, cooper s coupe, jcw coupe and rolls-royce ghost, 2011 BMW x6 hybrid and 2012 BMW 650i coupe, 650i xdrive coupe, 650i convertible and 650i xdrive convertible vehicles. the electric auxiliary water pump may fail and cause the circuit board to overheat.

If the circuit board were to overheat, it can increase the risk of a fire.

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the electric auxiliary water pump, free of charge. depending on the model, there are currently limited parts available, however not all parts are available at this time. owners will be notified of the recall beginning june 11, 2018, and will receive a second notification when remedy parts become available. owners may contact BMW customer service at BMW 1-800-525-7417, mini at 1-866-825-1525, or rolls-royce at 1-877-877-3735. note: BMW recommends that owners park their vehicle outdoors until the recall remedy has been performed.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
03/20/13 Transmission and Drivetrain BMW is recalling certain model year 2005-2008 7-series vehicles, equipped with the comfort access option, and manufactured august 23, 2004, through july 24, 2008. the affected vehicles have an electronic key and an electronic connection between the gear shifter and the transmission (shift-by-wire) that automatically shifts the transmission to park when the driver presses the start/stop button to shutdown the engine. if the driver presses the engine start/stop button 2 or 3 times within a short time interval, the system may shift the transmission to neutral rather than park. if using the electronic key (comfort access mode), there would be no protection from the ignition interlock that prevents key removal if the vehicle is not in park.

If the driver exits the vehicle with the transmission in neutral and the parking brake is not applied, the vehicle may rollaway. unattended rollaway incidents often result in a crash or cause injury to pedestrians attempting to stop or enter the vehicle or to other bystanders in the path of the vehicle.

BMW will notify owners beginning in november 2012. the remedy became available in march 2013. owners may call BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at customerrelations@BMWusa.com.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
09/13/06 Suspension and Steering On certain passenger vehicles, the lower rubber mount of the rear shock absorbers may not have been manufactured to specifications and may not adhere correctly to its housing within the shock absorber.

The bushing could loosen and over time could separate from its housing. the driver will experience impaired vehicle handling and control increasing the risk of a crash.

Dealers will replace the rear shock absorber free of charge. the recall began on september 13, 2006. owners may contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.

Customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
08/11/17 Electrical and Air Conditioning BMW of north america, llc (BMW) is recalling certain 2013-2015 740i, 740li, 740lxi, 750i, 750xi, 750li and 750lxi and 2014 activehybrid 7 vehicles. the affected vehicles may have received incorrect replacement left rear taillight assemblies. as such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."

Vehicles with the incorrect left rear lamp assemblies may be less conspicuous to other drivers, possibly increasing the risk of a crash.

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace any incorrect left rear taillight assemblies, free of charge. the recall began august 11, 2017. owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
07/08/16 Electrical and Air Conditioning BMW of north america, llc (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2016 740li, 750li, and 750lxi vehicles manufactured july 1, 2015, to december 11, 2015. the affected vehicles have an air bag control module that may randomly reset due to an electrical short circuit as a result of residual metallic particles from the manufacturing process.

In the event of a crash while the air bag module is resetting, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control module, free of charge. the recall began on july 11, 2016. owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
12/14/04 Electrical and Air Conditioning On certain passenger vehicles equipped with front seat heating systems, upon entering and exiting the vehicle, excessive contact with the side bolster that is contained in the seat's backrest may damage the heating mat located in this area. if such damage were to occur, with the system turned on, the vehicle occupant may feel excessive heat from this area.

It is possible that the heating mat in the backrest's side bolster could overheat and damage, or melt a small hole in, this area of the seat cover. if this happened, it could lead to an occupant being burned.

Dealers will modify the seat heating circuit. the recall is expected to begin during december 2004. owners should contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.

Customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
02/08/18 Other BMW of north america, llc (BMW) is recalling certain 2005-2008 745i, 745li, 750i, 750li, 760i, 760li, and b7 alpina vehicles equipped with both the comfort access and soft close automatic options. in these vehicles, the doors may appear to be closed and latched, but, in fact, may inadvertently open.

The door may unexpectedly open due to road or driving conditions or occupant contact with the door. the sudden opening may result in occupant ejection or increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

The remedy is currently under development. interim notices were mailed to owners july 17, 2017 informing them of the safety defect. owners will receive a second notice when the remedy is ready. owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at customerrelations@BMWusa.com.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
12/12/12 Other BMW is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 7-series vehicles, equipped with both comfort access and soft close automatic options, and manufactured august 23, 2004, through september 3, 2007. due to a software problem, the doors may appear to be closed and latched, but, in fact, may inadvertently open.

The door may unexpectedly open due to road or driving conditions or occupant contact with the door. the sudden opening may result in occupant ejection or increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

BMW will notify owners and dealers will update software. the recall began on december 12, 2012. owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at customerrelations@BMWusa.com.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
04/16/10 Other BMW is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 7-series and model year 2010 550i grand turismo vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110 "tire selection and rims." these vehicle's are equipped with a tire pressure label indicating that the vehicle's seating capacity is five (5) passengers. the actual seating capacity is four (4) passengers. the tire size, tire pressure, and vehicle capacity weight on the label are correct.

The tire label does not conform to fmvss 110.

BMW will notify owners and authorized BMW dealers will replace the tire label free of charge. the safety recall began on april 16, 2010. owners may contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov .
10/13/04 Other On certain passenger vehicles, the software programming of the driver's seat occupant detection system (ods) may not be able to reliably determine if the driver's seat is occupied.

In certain crash conditions, the driver's front air bag, head protection system, safety belt pretensioner, and knee air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury to a seat occupant.

Dealers will reprogram the software for the driver's seat occupant detection system. the recall began october 13, 2004. owners should contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.

Customers can contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
03/10/01 Other Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with 18-inch tires. (18-inch tires are standard equipment on the m5 and optional equipment on the 7-series models). the machine used to mount and inflate the tires on the wheels at the assembly plant may have damaged the sidewall of one or more tires. the damaged area could weaken to the point where a sudden loss of air from the tire could occur.

Handling and control would be drastically affected increasing the risk of a crash.

Dealers will inspect the tires and if damage from the mounting machine is found, the tire will be replaced. owner notification began march 10, 2001. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.

Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).

Return to top

BMW 7-Series Recalls

Some things are often misunderstood about recalls and technical service bulletins (TSBs). Plus a disclaimer.

  1. Recalls do not have to be issued only because something is prone to failure. NHTSA (a government agency) can only require a recall if a failure will affect safety, emissions, fuel economy, or compliance with some other regulation or law. Manufacturers can voluntarily recall cars for problems that do not affect these, though.
  2. Recalls often apply to only some cars of a specific model year, rather than all of them. You should receive a letter from the manufacturer if your car has been recalled. You can also check with the dealer, which will know which (if any) recalls pertain to your car.
  3. The primary purpose of TSBs is to inform dealers about known problems with a car and how to fix them. They are not the same as recalls. As with recalls, TSBs often only apply to some cars, not the entire model year.
  4. Dealers often will not provide a preventive repair just because a problem described in a TSB might happen to your car. They'll usually want to observe symptoms that the problem is already affecting your car.
  5. Even if there are symptoms, a manufacturer doesn't have to pick up the cost of a TSB repair if the car is out of warranty, though sometimes they do.

We provide the text of recalls and TSBs as provided by NHTSA. There can be errors in the text. If you sign up for notifications in My Garage, we will try to get these to do, but for various reasons (some beyond our control) cannot guarantee you will receive them. When in doubt about a recall or TSB, contact the dealer.