1997 BMW 740IL Complaints

TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT. BMW SERVICE CENTER SAYS THAT THEY CAN'T COMMUNICATE WITH MY VEHICLE THEREBY CAN'T DIAGNOSE PROBLEM(S). VEHICLE STATIONARY IN SHOP.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BMW 740IL. WHILE DRIVING OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD OR POTHOLE, THE VEHICLE SHOOK ABNORMALLY. ADDITIONALLY THE TIE ROD FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WAS ALSO AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BOTTOM SPRINGS WERE FRACTURED. THE DEALER ALSO ADVISED THE CONTACT NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT WAS UNSAFE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000. UPDATED 04/19/17 LJ *TR

I WENT TO THE BMW DEALER AND THEY SAY THAT THEY HAVE NOTHING IN THE COMPUTER I THINK THAT MY SAFETY IS FIRST.THANK YOU

STEERING AND OVER ALL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IS COMPROMISED FOR NO REASON FEELS LIKE IT IS DISCONNECTING AND LOOSE CLANKING NOISES FORM FRONT SUSPENSION ALL THE TIME ON ALL SURFACES ALSO A SQUEAKY OLD BED FRAME NOISE APPEARS . CONCERNED ABOUT FAMILY SAFETY THE VEHICLE IS WELL CARED FOR. FEELS LIKE A SLOPPY MESSY FUMBLING INTERACTION BETWEEN CAR AND STEERING WHEEL ALSO VEERS RANDOMLY AS IF IT WAS DETACHED FROM THE STEERING SYSTEM. *TR

STEERING AND OVER ALL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IS COMPROMISED FOR NO REASON FEELS LIKE IT IS DISCONNECTING AND LOOSE CLANKING NOISES FORM FRONT SUSPENSION ALL THE TIME ON ALL SURFACES ALSO A SQUEAKY OLD BED FRAME NOISE APPEARS . CONCERNED ABOUT FAMILY SAFETY THE VEHICLE IS WELL CARED FOR. FEELS LIKE A SLOPPY MESSY FUMBLING INTERACTION BETWEEN CAR AND STEERING WHEEL ALSO VEERS RANDOMLY AS IF IT WAS DETACHED FROM THE STEERING SYSTEM. *TR

MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE AT A CERTIFIED USED DEALERSHIP. WE FUELED IT UP AND DROVE IT AROUND THAT NIGHT AND PARKED IT AT OUR HOME. THE NEXT MORNING IT SMELLED TERRIBLY OF GASOLINE SO I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR. THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK WAS CRUSHED IN AND IT WAS POURING GASOLINE ALL OVER THE DRIVEWAY. THEIR WAS A PUDDLE APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET WIDE UNDER THE CAR. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY WERE SHOCKED. WE BOTH ASSUMED THAT THEY NEVER FILLED THE TALK SO THE PROBLEM WASN'T KNOWN. THEY REPLACED THE TANK FREE OF CHARGE AND ONCE AGAIN I FILLED THE TANK AND DROVE IT AROUND FOR THE WEEKEND. I NOTICED THE GASOLINE SMELL AGAIN AND LOOKED UNDER THE CAR AND WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THE TANK CRUSHED IN AGAIN AND THE FUEL LEAKING OUT. I RAN A GOOGLE SEARCH ON THIS AND FOUND OUT THAT I WAS NOT ALONE. THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH A PURGE LINE THAT CAUSES THE TALK TO IMPLODE ON ITSELF. I AM VERY SURPRISED TO NOT FIND A RECALL ON THIS. I WOULD THINK THAT AVOIDING A CAR FIRE WOULD BE A CONCERN FOR THE NHTSA. I HOPE WITH ENOUGH COMPLAINTS THEY FORCE A RECALL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BMW 740IL. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE BRAKE LIGHTS CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE, BUT THE BRAKES WERE NOT EFFECTIVE. ALSO, THE COIL SPRING MADE A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 97V140000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS), WHICH WAS ISSUED IN THE SPRING OF 1997. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 115,000. UPDATE 09/10/08 *CW UPDATED 09/19/08. *JB

CAR WAS RUNNING FINE, WAS AT A STOP LIGHT AND THE CAR SHUT OFF HAD A REALLY STRONG ELECTRICAL SMELL COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. OPENED UP THE HOOD AND HAD A FLAME DOWN AT THE THERMOSTAT AREA. QUICKLY PUT IT OUT AND PUSHED THE CAR OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HAD TO HAVE A TOW TRUCK COME TOW THE CAR AND BRING MY FAMILY OUT OF THE FREEZING COLD AS WELL. THE THERMOSTAT AND WIRING FROM THE ECU DOWN TO THE THERMOSTAT HAD TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AS A FUSE THAT HAD BLOWN IN THE MAIN ENGINE HARNESS. OLD PART WAS DISPOSED OF AS WELL AS THE WIRING. *TR

PURCHASED A "CERTIFIED" BMW 1997 740IL IN 11/02 WITH 69,000 MILES. IN JANUARY I NOTICED A "TIN CAN" POPPING SOUND FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AND A VACUUM LIKE SOUND WHEN OPENING THE GAS CAP TO FUEL. I NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE GAS TANK HAD A DENT IN IT ALTHOUGH I HAD NOT HIT ANYTHING. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO JOHN ROBERTS BMW IN DALLAS. THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD NEVER HAD ANY COMPLAINTS RESEMBLING MINE AND THAT I MUST HAVE STRUCK SOMETHING TO DAMAGE THE TANK. ABOUT ONE MONTH LATER THE TANK BEGAN TO LEAK AND BASICALLY IMPLODED FROM VACUUM PRESSURE. I POSTED MY EXPERIENCE ON SEVERAL WEB SITES AND RECEIVED OVER 20 RESPONSES FROM OWNERS WHO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. ONE OF THESE PEOPLE SENT ME A TECHNICAL BULLETIN FROM BMW TO ITS DEALERS DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM AS A FUEL TANK VENT WHICH WOULD BECOME STOPPED UP AND CAUSE THE FUEL TANK TO IMPLODE. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER BUT BY THIS TIME MY VEHICLE WAS ONE MONTH OUT OF WARRANTY. I BELIEVE THIS DEFECT IS A POTENTIALLY DEADLY HAZARD AND COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN AN EXPLOSION OR FIRE.*AK

THE CONSUMER HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN NHTSA RECALL# 97V140000 : VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. ROAD GRIT AND GRAVEL ASSOCIATED WITH WINTER ROAD CONDITIONS CAN PENETRATE THE RUBBER OF THE LOWER FRONT SPRING MOUNTS AND ACCUMULATE IN THE MOUNTS CAUSING NOTCHES OR PITS TO DEVELOP. THESE NOTCHES CAN DEVELOP CRACKS RESULTING IN BREAKAGE OF A BOTTOM COIL OF THE SPRING. THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONSUMER HER VEHICLE IDENTIFICATIONS NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *JB