There are 5 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2005 BMW 7 Seriesin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 745LI. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PLACE THE VEHICLE IN PARK, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT BACK TO NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS MADE AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V502000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN) HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000.
I TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE CAR WAS SLOW TO CRANK. I HAD THE BATTERY TESTED AND IT WAS FINE. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED I NEEDED A FUEL PUMP. IT WAS REPAIRED. TWO DAYS LATER, I AM DRIVING THE 745LI BMW UP AN INCLINED HIGHWAY MERGING ONTO A BRIDGE WHEN SUDDENLY THE CAR STARTED JERKING, LOOSING POWER, CUTTING BACK AND DECELERATING UNTIL IT SHUT COMPLETELY OFF. I WAS UNABLE TO CRANK IT OR EVEN MOVE OFF THE HIGHWAY TO A SAFE LOCATION. THE CAR TOTALLY STALLED ON THE BRIDGE. WHEN THE CAR WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY CLAIMED THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. HOWEVER A FEW DAYS LATER THE CAR STALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY AGAIN. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO CLAIMS IT WAS OUT OF GAS. THE DEALER PUTS GAS IN IT. THE NEXT DAY, THE CAR STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY AGAIN. THE DEALER CLAIMS THAT THE FUEL GUAGE WAS NOT READING PROPERLY AND REPLACED THE SENSORS. THE CAR IS STILL SLOW TO CRANK, WHICH IS THE INTIAL PROBLEM FROM DAY ONE. STILL NOT REPAIRED, $3,000.00 LATER. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 760LI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL INDEPENDENTLY. THE GEAR WAS THEN SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. THE MALFUNCTION OCCURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 12V502000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM , POWER TRAIN). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY INFORMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.
TRANSMISSION SKIPPED, ESPECIALLY WHEN COMING TO A STOP...IT WAS DIAGNOSED AND "REPAIRED" BY REPLACING THE "MECHATRONICS" IN THE VEHICLE. NOW, IT HAS OCCURRED AGAIN, AND THEY CLAIM NOW THAT IT IS THE FAILURE OF THE DOOR OPENING SYSTEM, INSTALLED BY BMW, THAT'S CAUSING THE BATTERY TO "LEAK", THEREFORE CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO MALFUNCTION..I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TWO ITEMS, AND IF SO THIS COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO MYSELF AND FAMILY. THE CAR COULD COME TO A SUDDEN STOP AT ANY TIME AND CAUSE US TO GO FORWARD, AND POSSIBLE TO DO SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH, OR THE BATTERY COULD EXPLODE AGAIN CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY. I WOULD LIKE TO SHOW YOU THE RECORDS THEY PROVIDED TO ME, AND BE ASSURED THAT THIS PROBLEM ISN'T ONE THROUGHOUT THEIR VEHICLES, LIKE A BOMB READY TO GO OFF AT ANY TIME. *TR
TRANSMISSION SLAMS FROM SECOND TO FIRST GEAR, FEELS LIKE A BUMP FROM ANOTHER CAR IN THE BACK. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WITH ISSUE STILL THEIR DEALERSHIP SAID CANT FIND PROBLEM AND NOTHING IS WRONG. PROBLEM STILL HAPPENING FACTORY WARRANTY NOW UNAVAILABLE. *TR
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