How many recalls does the 1994 BMW 740il have?

The 1994 BMW 740il has 1 NHTSA safety recall campaign on record.

How do I check if my 1994 BMW 740il has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 1994 BMW 740il?

Of 4 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is engine and engine cooling.

1994 BMW 740il Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 1994 BMW 740il has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 180,000 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 96V111000 1996-07-01 180,000 affected

Defect

THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH CAN FAIL ALLOWING THE SWITCH TO REMAIN IN THE "BRAKE LIGHTS OFF" POSITION OR IN THE "BRAKE LIGHTS ON" POSITION.

Consequence

IF THIS HAPPENS, THE BRAKE LIGHTS EITHER WILL NOT OPERATE OR WILL BE CONTINUOUSLY ON, REGARDLESS OF BRAKE PEDAL POSITION. FOLLOWING DRIVERS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS STOPPING, INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED SWITCH.

Complaints by component

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Total complaints4

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“No summary”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY · reported 1999-03-08

“The consumer test drove this vehicle and noticed rough idle, in which he felt that this was a sign of impending failure. The engine is prone to premature failure before 100k miles. The nakasil engine in bmw's are prone to unnatural cylinder wall erosion, due to the gasoline containing sulfur. The…”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING · reported 1994-08-16

“This engine is a nikasil engine that has not failed yet, but will fail due to the material used. Mr”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

“The consumer is concerned about the nikasil m60b40 4.0 l (3982cc) fuel injected, dohc, v-8 engines, that are prone to premature failure before 100k miles. (which can also cause erosion due to american gasoline containing sulphur) there was a technical bulletin issued in september 1995 to repair…”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1994 BMW 740il as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.