2012 BMW 7 Series

Typical pattern

8.3% of complaints about the 2012 BMW 7 Series came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2012 vehicle — around the middle of the 201 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 6.4 yr in service. The most-reported system is engine (30 complaints), typically at 6.5 yr or about 60,000 miles.

Covers 5 variants: 750LI (40), 750IX (13), 750I (12), 740LI (8), 740I (6)

Complaints: 84
Median age at failure: 6.4 yr
Median mileage: 60,000 n=70
Crash / fire / tow: 10.7% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

18V248000 2018-04-18

Engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline:turbo/supercharger

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 BMW 550i, 550i xDrive, 550i Gran Turismo, 550i Gran Turismo xDrive, 750i, 750Li, 750i xDrive, 750Li xDrive, 760Li, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M, ActiveHybrid7, MINI Cooper S Convertible, John Cooper Works (JCW) Convertible, Cooper S Countryman, Cooper S Countryman ALL4, Cooper S, JCW, Cooper S Clubman, JCW Clubman, Cooper S Roadster, JCW Roadster, Cooper S Coupe, JCW Coupe and Rolls-Royce Ghost, 2011 BMW X6 Hybrid and 2012 BMW 650i Coupe, 650i xDrive Coupe, 650i Convertible and 650i xDrive Convertible vehicles. The elect

If the circuit board were to overheat, it can increase the risk of a fire.

17V067000 2017-02-02

Power train:driveline:constant velocity joint

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 1 Series M Coupe and 135i Convertible vehicles, 2011 Z4 sDrive 35i, 335i, 335d, 335i Coupe, 335is Coupe, 335i Convertible, 335is Convertible, 535i, 535i xDrive, 535i Gran Turismo and 550i xDrive Gran Turismo vehicles and 2012 740i and 740Li vehicles. The rear driveshaft constant velocity (CV) joint on the affected vehicles may fatigue and break.

If the CV joint breaks, the vehicle may have a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash.

In owners’ own words

Engine mileage not reported 7.6 yr in service

LOW ENGINE OIL COMES ON EVERY FEW MONTHS AND I HAVE TO ADD OIL AT THAT TIME. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE OIL IS GOING BUT LEVEL IS DOWN TO MINIMUM. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR.

Engine 115,438 mi 7.4 yr in service

I PULLED IN TO MY HOME TO DISCOVER THAT MY BMW WAS LEAKING OIL AFTER TAKING IT TO A BMW SERVICE CENTER THEY DIAGNOSED AND INDEED I HAD AN OIL LEAK FROM THE GASKET HOUSING SEAL CAR WAS STILL OPERATING FINE UNTIL I TURN THE CAR ON ONE MORNING AND IT JUST KEEP STALLING BEING STUCK AND CONSTANT IDLE THE OIL IS SMUDGE ALL OVER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND I CAN'T DRIVE WITHOUT VAPORS AND FUMES BEING PRESENT IN THE VEHICLE

Engine mileage not reported 6.1 yr in service

ENGINE OVER HEAT, LOST POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WHILE CROSSING ACROSS THE ROAD. GOT MESSAGE SAYING THIS CONTACT SERVICE CENTER IMMEDIATELY.

Power train 73,000 mi 6.7 yr in service

DRIVETRAIN SIGNAL CAME ON LIGHT IN CAR STARTED TO TURN ON AND OFF GEARSHIFT BECAME REAL COLD STARTED TO SLOW DOWN ONLY ALLOW TO GO 50 MPH

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.

2012 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