What years of the BMW 740i should I avoid?

NHTSA data flags 2016 and 2023 as the years to avoid, with complaint indexes of 83 and 92, the third- and second-worst among the 13 model years covered.

What is the best year for the BMW 740i?

No 740i year earns a Best verdict. 2018 is rated Good with a complaint index of 42, the lowest among years with an assigned verdict.

Does the 2023 BMW 740i have brake problems?

Yes. Brakes are the top problem area for 2023, making up 64% of its complaints, and NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for that year, several tied to the integrated brake system.

Are 2016 BMW 740i engine issues common?

Engine complaints make up 33% of all 2016 740i complaints, with a median failure mileage of 1,339 miles, mostly involving adaptive cruise control failing to detect vehicles.

How reliable is the BMW 740i overall based on NHTSA data?

Across 2012-2025, the 740i has 51 total complaints and 14 recall campaigns, with Electrical System and Engine issues each making up 27% of complaints.

BMW 740i Best and Worst Years (2012–2025)

Across the BMW 740i (2012-2025), 2016 and 2023 are the years to avoid, with complaint indexes of 83 and 92 and rank-worst-first positions of 3 and 2 out of 13. 2018 is the only Good year (complaint index 42), while 2017 rates Caution.

Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls per model-year, ranked within this model — not a reliability rating. Methodology.

Avoid 2016 Avoid 2023

Model years: 13; 2012–2025
NHTSA complaints: 51
Recall campaigns: 14
Crashes reported: 3
Fires reported: 0
Top problem area: Electrical System

740i Complaint Index by year

Higher = more complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and Do-Not-Drive recalls per year on the road, relative to other years of this model.

Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best

BMW 740i problems and recalls by year

Year	Verdict	Index	Complaints	Crashes	Recalls	Top issue	MPG	NCAP
2012	No verdict	33	4	0	1	Engine	20	—
2013	No verdict	75	1	1	1	Airbags	22	—
2014	No verdict	58	1	1	1	—	22	—
2015	No verdict	8	1	0	1	Engine	22	—
2016	Avoid	83	12	0	0	Engine	24	—
2017	Caution	50	7	0	0	Electrical System	23	—
2018	Good	42	5	0	0	Engine	23.5	—
2019	No verdict	100	4	1	1	Electrical System	23.5	—
2020	No verdict	17	1	0	2	Electrical System	23.5	—
2021	No verdict	25	1	0	2	Collision Avoidance & Cameras	24	—
2023	Avoid	92	11	0	9	Brakes	27	—
2024	No verdict	67	3	0	5	Brakes	27.5	—
2025	No verdict	0	0	0	3	—	27.5	—

740i years to avoid: what went wrong

2023 BMW 740i Index 92 · 11 complaints · 9 recalls

The 2023 740i has a complaint index of 92, the second-worst year, driven largely by Brakes, which account for 64% of its 11 complaints at a median failure mileage of 23,235. NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for this year, three of them tied to an integrated brake system that needed inspection or replacement. Owners report warning lights and brake pedal problems tied to Electronic Stability Control recall notices, plus rough idle and hesitation during Auto Start/Stop transitions, and one report of unintended acceleration under 30 mph.

2016 BMW 740i Index 83 · 12 complaints · 0 recalls

The 2016 740i posts a complaint index of 83, the third-worst year in the lineup out of 13 model years, based on 12 total complaints. Engine complaints make up 33% of the total, with a median failure mileage of just 1,339 miles, and owners describe adaptive cruise control failing to detect or track vehicles ahead. Electrical System issues account for another 25% of complaints, at a median mileage of 1,296.5, centered on a flaky automatic park distance control system and an audio system that freezes and stops responding to controls. No recalls are logged for this year, so these are complaint-driven concerns.

Most common BMW 740i problems (all years)

Share of NHTSA complaints by component group across all model years.

Electrical System14 (27%)
Engine14 (27%)
Brakes10 (20%)
Other6 (12%)
Seat Belts5 (10%)
Suspension, Wheels & Tires4 (8%)
Structure & Body3 (6%)
Transmission & Powertrain3 (6%)
Visibility & Wipers3 (6%)
Lane Departure2 (4%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

Frequently asked questions

What years of the BMW 740i should I avoid?: NHTSA data flags 2016 and 2023 as the years to avoid, with complaint indexes of 83 and 92, the third- and second-worst among the 13 model years covered.
What is the best year for the BMW 740i?: No 740i year earns a Best verdict. 2018 is rated Good with a complaint index of 42, the lowest among years with an assigned verdict.
Does the 2023 BMW 740i have brake problems?: Yes. Brakes are the top problem area for 2023, making up 64% of its complaints, and NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for that year, several tied to the integrated brake system.
Are 2016 BMW 740i engine issues common?: Engine complaints make up 33% of all 2016 740i complaints, with a median failure mileage of 1,339 miles, mostly involving adaptive cruise control failing to detect vehicles.
How reliable is the BMW 740i overall based on NHTSA data?: Across 2012-2025, the 740i has 51 total complaints and 14 recall campaigns, with Electrical System and Engine issues each making up 27% of complaints.