Model year record

2005 BMW 760i recalls & problems

The 2005 BMW 760i has 3 safety recalls and 2 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is air bags (1 complaint).

Recalls3safety recalls

Complaints2filed by owners

Crashes · fires0 · 0reported in complaints

Injuries · deaths0 · 0reported in complaints

Safety recalls

Latches/locks/linkagesMay 18, 2017

Doors › Latch

Recall 17V32800045,484 vehicles

Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2005-2008 745i, 745Li, 750i, 750Li, 760i, 760Li, and B7 Alpina vehicles equipped with both the Comfort Access and Soft Close Automatic options. In these vehicles, the doors may appear to be closed and latched, but, in fact, may inadvertently open.
Risk: The door may unexpectedly open due to road or driving conditions or occupant contact with the door. The sudden opening may result in occupant ejection or increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the door latch system, free of charge. The recall began February 8, 2018. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.

Latches/locks/linkagesOct 17, 2012

Doors › Latch

Recall 12V5040007,485 vehicles

Problem: BMW is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 7-Series vehicles, equipped with both Comfort Access and Soft Close Automatic options, and manufactured August 23, 2004, through September 3, 2007. Due to a software problem, the doors may appear to be closed and latched, but, in fact, may inadvertently open.
Risk: The door may unexpectedly open due to road or driving conditions or occupant contact with the door. The sudden opening may result in occupant ejection or increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: BMW will notify owners and dealers will update software. The recall began on December 12, 2012. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.

Electrical systemOct 17, 2012

Ignition › Switch

Recall 12V50200045,500 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem: BMW is recalling certain model year 2005-2008 7-Series vehicles, equipped with the Comfort Access option, and manufactured August 23, 2004, through July 24, 2008. The affected vehicles have an electronic key and an electronic connection between the gear shifter and the transmission (shift-by-wire) that automatically shifts the transmission to Park when the driver presses the Start/Stop button to shutdown the engine. If the driver presses the engine Start/Stop button 2 or 3 times within a short time interval, the system may shift the transmission to Neutral rather than Park. If using the electronic key (Comfort Access mode), there would be no protection from the ignition interlock that prevents key removal if the vehicle is not in Park.
Risk: If the driver exits the vehicle with the transmission in Neutral and the parking brake is not applied, the vehicle may rollaway. Unattended rollaway incidents often result in a crash or cause injury to pedestrians attempting to stop or enter the vehicle or to other bystanders in the path of the vehicle.
Fix: BMW will notify owners beginning in November 2012. The remedy became available in March 2013. Owners may call BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.

Components: Electrical system › Ignition › Switch; Power train › Automatic transmission › Control module (tcm/pcm/tecm); Power train › Automatic transmission

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Fuel economy

760i

16mpg combined

City / highway	13 / 21 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

6 L · 12 cyl · Automatic (S6) · Rear-Wheel Drive · about $5,150/year to fuel

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

Problem area	Complaints	Typical mileage*
Air bagsFrontal	1	—
Electrical system	1	—
Engine	1	—
Vehicle speed control	1	—

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

Electrical system
AT A RED LIGHT THE CAR GOES INTO NEUTRAL AND THEN DIES, AFTER ABOUT 5 MIN WAS ABLE TO START AND THEN AS DRIVING 45 MLS PER HOUR THE CAR AGAIN GOES INTO NEUTRAL AND DIES, LEAVING NO CONTROL OF STEERING AND CARS ZOOMING BY ALMOST HIT WITH CHILDREN IN CAR, READ UP ON THIS PROBLEM AND NHTSA HAS LOOKED INTO THIS IN 2012 BUT STILL NO FIX, WHY NO RECALL, THIS IS MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND BMW IS NOT TAKING RESPONSABILITY OVER 500 COMPLAINTS AND AFFECTS 122K CARS FROM 02-08 PLEASE HELP
Apr 26, 2017 · 105 miles
Air bags › Frontal
X. NO SUMMARY. *AK
Jan 3, 2005

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

Vehicle RollawayClosedLed to recall 12V502000
In a letter dated October 16, 2012, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR), NHTSA Recall No. 12V-502 to NHTSA identifying a safety defect involving the possibility of unattended vehicle rollaway in MY 2005 through 2008 BMW 7-Series (approximately 45,000) vehicles equipped with the Comfort Access Option.The Comfort Access option allows the driver to start and stop the engine (by pressing the engine start / stop button) without inserting the key fob into the vehicles key slot in the instrument panel.Subject vehicles not equipped with the Comfort Access option require the key fob be inserted the key slot to start the engine.Upon removal of the key from the key slot the vehicle will automatically shift to Park if the driver has not done so using the gearshift lever.Sunject vehicles equipped with the Comfort Access option are designed such that when the…
EA12002 · opened Apr 10, 2012 · closed Jan 24, 2013
Vehicle RollawayClosed
In response to the Office of Defects Investigation's (ODI) Information Request (IR) for PE11-025, BMW provided ODI with 1 complaint and 46 field reports relating to either incidents of unattended vehicle rollaway or vehicle movement after the driver expected the vehicle gearshift to automatically shift to park. ODI's analysis of the data provided by BMW identified 14 crashes and 5 alleged injuries. ODI has also identified 3 additional reports in its database alleging vehicle rollaway incidents of which 2 resulted in crashes.The subject vehicles are all equipped with push-buttons (Start/Stop button) to control starting/stopping the engine and Shift-by-Wire gearshift systems controlled by a column mounted selector lever behind the steering wheel. The Start/Stop button also controls switching the ignition and the radio ready state On and Off. Shift-by-wire systems replace the traditional…
PE11025 · opened Aug 5, 2011 · closed Apr 23, 2012
BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATIONClosedLed to recall 08V384000
BMW IS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN ON APPROXIMATELY 200,000 MY04 THROUGH MY06 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH 11/30/05 TO CORRECT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT. THE SPECIFIC VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AREMY04- 06/ 5-SERIES WITH STANDARD AND SPORT SEATS, MY04-06/ X3-SERIES AND MY06/ 3-SERIES WITH SPORT SEATS. IN ADDITION, BMW WILL EXTEND THE WARRANTY COVERAGE OF THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT TO 10-YEAR/UNLIMITED MILEAGE ON APPROXIMATELY 120,000 REMAINING MY04-06 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH 11/30/05. THE SPECIFIC VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ARE MY 06/ 6 SERIES, MY 06/ 3-SERIES WITH STANDARD SEATS, MY04-05/ Z4, MY04-06/ 7 SERIES, MY 06/ X5, AND MY04-06/ 5-SERIES WITH COMFORT SEATS.THE AVERAGE FREQUENCY OF FAILURES AMONG THE EXTENDED WARRANTY GROUPS WAS LESS THAN 1/7TH OF THE RECALL VEHICLE GROUPS.PLEASE SEE BMW'S…
EA08001 · opened Jan 4, 2008 · closed Dec 31, 2008
BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATIONClosed
IN CERTAIN MY 2005 THROUGH MY 2006 BMW VEHICLES, THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) FOR THE PASSENGER FRONTAL AIRBAG MAY MALFUNCTION AND RENDER THE PASSENGER AIRBAG INOPERATIVE.IN JUNE 2006, BMW ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (SI B 72 02 06) REGARDING THE ILLUMINATION OF THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG STATUS LAMP.ILLUMINATION OF THESE LIGHTS WARN THAT AN OPEN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT MAY BE PRESENT WITHIN THE PASSENGER SEAT MAT SENSOR.WHEN BOTH OF THE LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED, THE PASSENGER FRONTAL AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN A FRONTAL CRASH.CERTAIN BMW VEHICLES IN ADDITION TO THE SUBJECT VEHICLES CONTAIN THE SAME SEAT MAT SENSOR.THESE ARE THE MY 2004 5-SERIES, 7-SERIES AND X3, THE MY 2004 THROUGH 2006Z-4 SERIES AND MY 2006 3-SERIES, 6-SERIES AND X5 VEHICLES.AN IMPROVED SEAT MAT SENSOR WAS INTRODUCED IN DECEMBER 2005 FOR THE MID-MY 2006 PRODUCTION.IN RESPONSE TO…
PE07045 · opened Sep 4, 2007 · closed Jan 4, 2008