The 1998 BMW 740ia has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 1,100 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA, most often about the power train. 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.
“July 2004 I noticed a noise coming from a/c and the rear of car, I took it to bmw dealer and they stated that they did not hear noise underneath the car. They assured me that the car was fine. However, I was not comfortable with the noise august 2005 I went back to the dealer, this time they…”
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 740ia as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.