Reliable Auto DB

2012 BMW 740Li reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 BMW 740Li over 15 years — 0 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most 740Li years here — under the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including CV joint.

2012 BMW 740Li
Photo by Vauxford, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

5

Per year

0

Recalls

1

Years on the road

15

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (3 of 5), then Electronic stability control (ESC) (1) and Engine (1). Those filings include 1 that reports a fire and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2013

The 2013 740Li has 7 complaints, 1 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 BMW 740Li. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

Recall powertrain, driveline, CV joint 2017-02-02 · NHTSA campaign 17V067000
Summary 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.
Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear driveshaft CV joint and, based on its production date, will replace it, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Complaints by component (5 total)

Powertrain
3
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Engine
1
Fire-related
1
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Suspension
1
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

1

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

12017220191202012022
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2012 BMW 740LI Sedan. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 mph when the vehicle backfired which resulted in the vehicle exploding. The drive train malfunction warning light was…"
    fire-related · filed 2022-01-10
  • "WHILE DRIVING AT THE SPEED OF 55 MPH, A WARNING SOUNDS (DINGS) AS MY CAR READS DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION AND IT REDUCES SPEED. IT ALSO SAYS (READS) DRIVING COMFORT RESTRICTED AND IT STOPS AUTOMATICALLY AS I'M DRIVING."
    Suspension, Powertrain · filed 2020-10-26
  • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 740LI. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND THEN LUNGED FORWARD. THE FAILURE OCCURRED OFTEN. DURING THE FAILURE, THE "POWER TRAIN MALFUNCTIONING" MESSAGE…"
    Powertrain · filed 2019-03-20
  • "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"
    Powertrain, Electronic stability control (ESC), Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2019-02-07
  • "ENGINE OVER HEAT, LOST POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WHILE CROSSING ACROSS THE ROAD. GOT MESSAGE SAYING THIS CONTACT SERVICE CENTER IMMEDIATELY."
    Engine · filed 2017-11-03

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2012 BMW 740 LI 4 DR RWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
740Li 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Rear-wheel drive 17 25 20 MPG $4000

Specs and fitment

F02 generation, 2012–2015
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-30 , 6.9 qt capacity
Tire size 245/50R18, 245/45R19, 245/40R20, 245/35R21, 275/40R19, 275/35R20, 275/30R21

Known issues for this generation

Recall 17V379000 covers certain 2013-2015 740Li and 740Lxi vehicles (with 740i, 750i/750xi/750Li/750Lxi, and 2014 ActiveHybrid 7; ~92 units total) that may have received incorrect replacement left rear taillight assemblies; dealers inspect and replace incorrect assemblies.

Compare

Next year 2013 BMW 740Li See every BMW 740Li model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 BMW 740Li reliable?

Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 BMW 740Li over 15 years — 0 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most 740Li years here — under the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including CV joint.

What are common problems with a 2012 BMW 740Li?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (3 of 5), then Electronic stability control (ESC) (1) and Engine (1). Those filings include 1 that reports a fire and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2012 BMW 740Li more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 740Li has 7 complaints, 1 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 BMW 740Li been recalled?

The 2012 BMW 740Li has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 BMW 740Li?

Owners have filed 5 complaints about the 2012 BMW 740Li with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 BMW 740Li get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 BMW 740Li is 20 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a US BMW 740Li use?

0W-30 With filter, about 6.9 qt is commonly listed for this generation—confirm in the owner manual.

What tire sizes fit a US BMW 740Li?

Published US specs commonly list front 245/50R18, 245/45R19, 245/40R20, 245/35R21, 275/40R19, 275/35R20, 275/30R21 and rear 245/50R18, 245/45R19, 245/40R20, 245/35R21, 275/40R19, 275/35R20, 275/30R21; confirm on the door jamb placard for your trim.

What NHTSA recalls affect the US BMW 740Li?

Recall 25V644000 covers certain 2020-2022 740Li vehicles (with 2020 340i and X6, 2020-2025 840i, and 2019-2020 X5/X7 among others; ~145,102 units total) where repeated start attempts can overheat the starter motor and ignite nearby material; dealers replace the starter, including vehicles previously remedied under 24V576000. Recall 21V062000 covers certain 2020-2021 740 Li / 740 Li xDrive models (with 8 Series, X6, and X5 among others; ~893 units) for an integrated brake system concern that can lose ABS and reduce brake assist; dealers replace the integrated brake system.…