2002 BMW 7 Series

Typical pattern

6% of complaints about the 2002 BMW 7 Series came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2002 vehicle — around the middle of the 230 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 9.3 yr in service. The most-reported system is power train (25 complaints), typically at 8.8 yr or about 106,112 miles.

Covers 2 variants: 745I (74), 745LI (57)

Complaints: 133
Median age at failure: 9.3 yr
Median mileage: 90,000 n=97
Crash / fire / tow: 10.5% of reports
Safety recalls: 1

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

10V446000 2010-10-01

Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum

BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 5-SERIES, 6-SERIES, AND MODEL YEAR 2002-2008 7-SERIES VEHICLES. A CHECK VALVE OF THE BRAKE VACUUM PUMP MAY LEAK A SMALL AMOUNT OF LUBRICATING OIL. OVER TIME THIS COULD RESULT IN CONTAMINATION OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER.

POWER ASSIST BRAKING PERFORMANCE COULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED. IN EXTREME CASES THERE COULD BE A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ASSIST BRAKING. AN UNEXPECTED REDUCTION OR LOSS IN POWER BRAKING ASSIST MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

In owners’ own words

Air bags 10,000 mi 1.3 yr in service

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.

Air bags 99,800 mi 7.3 yr in service

MY VEHICLE IS A 2002 BMW 745I THAT HAS AN DRIVE SYSTEM AND THE LATEST WARNING NOTE CAME UP ON THE IDRIVE SCREEN THAT SAYS, "FAULT IN PASS.-RESTRAINT SYSTEM AFFECTING AIRBAG, BELT TENSIONER OR BELT-FORCE LIMITER. FASTEN AND CONTINUE TO WEAR BELTS. PLEASE CONTACT THE NEAREST BMW CENTER". MY RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN THAT BMW INITIATED THAT COVERS THIS ISSUE FOR A 10 YEAR PERIOD. *TR

Air bags 81,000 mi 10.0 yr in service

PASSENGER SAFETY SYSTEMS FAULT / AIR BAG / SEAT BELT TENSIONER WARNING LIGHT HAS ACTIVATED ON MY CAR. 2004 ONWARDS MODELS WERE RECALLED FOR THIS SAME ISSUE. CAN YOU PLEASE ADVISE WHY ALL AFFECTED CARS ARE NOT COVERED AS THIS IS CLEARLY A MODEL / YEAR WIDE SAFETY FAULT WITH THE SENSOR MAT OR BELT TENSIONER SYSTEMS. BMW ARE TAKING NO RESPONSIBILITY AND PUT THE PROBLEM OF RECALLS ONTO NHTSA. PLEASE HELP AS I DO NOT WANT TO TRANSPORT MY FAMILY IN AN UNSAFE VEHICLE AND CANNOT AFFORD THE $1800 REPAIR WHILE CERTAIN OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS TAKEN CARE OF BY BMW UNDER THE RECALL. *KB

Power train mileage not reported 1.6 yr in service

WHEN DECELERATING VEHICLE MAKES A SUDDEN ACCELERATION INTO TRAFFIC THROWING PASSENGERS AGAINST THE SEATS. MR *TS

Other 7 Series model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2002 BMW 7 Series

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other 7 Series model years

How to read this