There are 13 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2002 BMW 7 Seriesin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM SOMEONE IN CASH. IT HAS SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE TAIL PIPES. WHEN ITS SITTING AND IDLING FOR A WHILE IT SMOKES TERRIBLY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 745LI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP DID NOT CIRCULATE COOLANT TO THE MOTOR. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 02V150000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); HOWEVER, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS NEVER INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS FAULTY AND CAUSED THE MOTOR TO MISFIRE. ONCE THE VEHICLE MISFIRED, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE FAILED. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V240000 (ENGINE, ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE CAMSHAFT SENSOR AND THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 745I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AS THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DIGITAL ENGINE MANAGEMENT CONTROL UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V240000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
MY VEHICLE JUST SHUT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING THIS HAS HAPPENED A TOTAL OF FOUR TIMES WHILE DRIVING AND THREE TIMES TOTAL WHILE IDLE. JUST RECENTLY WHEN THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF I ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED. THE VEHICLE ALSO WOULD NOT START AFTER IT HAD SHUT ITSELF OFF. I TRIED TO START IT BUT IT WOULDN'T TURN OVER. THEN A MESSAGE ON THE THE DISPLAY READ "TRANSMISSION DRIVE FAIL SAFE MALFUNCTION ONLY GEARS P,N,R, D3 AND D5 CAN BE ENGAGED WITHOUT PRESSING THE PARKING BRAKE." AND IT ALSO DISPLAYED SOMETHING ABOUT BATTERY DISCHARGED AND WILL BE DISCONNECTED SOON. THEN I WAS PROMPTED TO "RECHARGE BATTERY" AFTER THE MESSAGE. AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SITTING FOR ALMOST AN HOUR I STARTED IT. THERE WEREN'T ANY MESSAGES IN THE DISPLAY ABOUT MALFUNCTIONS OF ANY KIND EVERYTHING WAS CLEARED. I DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME AND TURNED IT OFF AND ON ABOUT FIVE TIMES AND IT STARTED FINE. I ALSO NOTICED THAT WHEN I IDLE MY CAR AND I GET OUT OF THE DRIVERS SEAT OR LIFT OUT OF THE SEAT AND SIT BACK DOWN BOTH TIMES I CAN HEAR THE FUEL PUMP BUZZING FOR ABOUT 1-2 SECONDS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 745I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, HE NOTICED THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS BLUE SMOKE BEING EMITTED FROM THE TAILPIPE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PCV VALVE HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
2002 BMW 745LI. AIR BAG LIGHT ON DASH BOARD CAME ON, WHICH MEANS SOMETHING IS NOW WRONG WITH THE AIR BAG OR THE AIR BAG SENSORS. BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE MY AIR BAGS WILL NOT ACTIVATE IF A CRASH OCCURS. THIS SAFETY ISSUE CONCERNS ME AND REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THE OIL PRESSURE VALVE IS LEAKING OIL WHICH HAS CAUSED SLIPPERY CONDITIONS AND UNWANTED POLLUTANTS (DIRTY MOTOR OIL) TO SEEP INTO THE GROUND BECAUSE OF THE CONTINUOUS LEAKING. *TR
MY 2002 BMW 745LI IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS REPORTED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V240000. WHEN I CALLED BMW TO ASK ABOUT THE RECALL THEY TOLD ME THAT MY BMW 745LI DID NOT HAVE ANY RECALLS UNDER MY VIN. BUT THE PROBLEMS ARE THE SAME AS REPORTED ON NHTSA. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 745LI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WOULD PERIODICALLY SEE A "FAIL SAFE DRIVE MODERATELY" MESSAGE ILLUMINATE ON THE DASHBOARD. WHILE HAVING THE VEHICLE SERVICED FOR A FLAT TIRE, THE CONTACT STATED THAT OIL WOULD LEAK FROM THE VEHICLE WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING ON AN ANGLE, INDUCING THE FAIL SAFE MODE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SERVICED FOR THE FAILURE AND THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 103,000.
CONSUMER PARKED THE VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE AND ABOUT THREE HOURS LATER SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE GARAGE. VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, AND DAMAGED ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE GARAGE. FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE ,AND DETERMINED THAT FIRE CAME FROM THE BACK OF THE ENGINE. *AK CONSUMER EXPERIENCED OTHER FAILURES WITH THE VEHICLE INCLUDING: FAILURE TO START, 3 RECALLS PERTAINING TO FUEL SYSTEM AND COMPUTER, COMPUTER CRASHED AND ACCESSORIES DIDN'T OPERATE, AND HEAD REST MOVED ON IT'S OWN. *PH
I LEASED THIS VEHICLE JUNE/2002 AND HAVE HAD CONSTANT AGGRAVATION AND FRUSTRATION BY THE NUMEROUS FAILURES OF THIS CAR, THIS CAR HAS BEEN AT THE BMW SERVICE CENTER 6 TIMES IN THE YEAR I HAVE HAD IT -- 3 TIMES FOR THE ENGINE FAILING TO START,LEAVING ME STRANDED AT NIGHT IN UNFAMILLAR AND DANGEROUS AREAS-- 2 TIMES THIS VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER AT NIGHT, EACH TIME WAITING MORE THAN 3 HOURS FOR BMW ASSIST TO HAVE A TOW TRUCK COME AND GET CAR -MOST RECENTLY I WAITED MORE THEN 4 HOURS -- I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR AS I DON'T KNOW WHEN IT WILL BRAKE DOWN AND NOT START. PLEASE HELP ME !!
WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND LOST COMPLETE POWER. *TT *SCC *JB
I PURCHASE A NEW 745I AND AFTER 10MONTHS OF CONSTANT AGGRAVATION AND FUSTRATION BY THE NUMEROUS FAILURES OF THIS CAR, I WOULD LIKE FOR BMW TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. MY CAR CONSTANTLY KEEP HAVING ENGINE FAILURE, RECENTLY BMW HAD TO REPLACE THE CYLINDER HEADS (FOR A NEW CAR THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE). I WOULD TO RETURN THIS CAR TO BMW FOR A FAIR EXCHANGE.
WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE, THEN ENGINE STALLED. VEHICLE IS STILL AT DEALERSHIP.*AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026