Model year record

2003 BMW 760Li recalls & problems

The 2003 BMW 760Li has 1 safety recall and 7 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is fuel/propulsion system (5 complaints).

Recalls1safety recalls

Complaints7filed by owners

Crashes · fires0 · 0reported in complaints

Injuries · deaths0 · 0reported in complaints

Safety recalls

Engine and engine coolingAug 26, 2003

Engine and engine cooling

Recall 03V3240002,400 vehicles

Problem: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE ENGINE OIL FILTER DRAIN PLUG MAY BE INSUFFICIENTLY TIGHTENED. THIS COULD LEAD TO LOOSENING OF THE PLUG CAUSING AN INITIAL OIL SPRAY AND A SUBSEQUENT OIL LEAK.
Risk: IF A LARGE AMOUNT OF OIL LOSS OCCURS, ENGINE DAMAGE MAY RESULT. DEPENDING ON THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE, A CRASH COULD OCCUR.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TORQUE OF THE OIL FILTER DRAIN PLUG AND, IF NECESSARY, RETIGHTEN THE DRAIN PLUG WITH THE CORRECTLY SPECIFIED TORQUE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.

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

760li

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*
Fuel/propulsion system	5	56,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling	1	—
Electrical system	1	—

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

Recent owner complaints

Fuel/propulsion system
THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMPS FAIL WHICH CAUSE THE CAR TO STALL AND CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. IF YOU TURN THE CAR OFF AND ION IT MAY START BACK UP AND RUN AGAIN, BUT IT WILL CONTINUE TO STALL AND CUT OFF. BMW KNOWS THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND SAYS BOT HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMPS NEED TO BE REPLACED AT $2700 A PIECE. MY VEHICLE HAS 90,000 MILES ON IT.
Apr 14, 2018 · 90,000 miles
Fuel/propulsion system
DRIVING AT 75MPH MY CAR STALLED AND THE STEERING BECAME STIFF. I BARLEY MADE IT OUT OF THE FAST LANE DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC AND OTHER CARS FLYING PAST ME AT 75/80 MPH. CAR STARTED BACK UP AND I PULLED OFF 1/4 MILE LATER IT STALLED AGAIN. I WAS IN THE SLOW LANE (STILL GOING 75MPH ) AND THE CAR STALLS AGAIN. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. MY MECHANIC CALLS ME AND SAYS ITS YOUR HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. I JUST HAD ONE OF MY HPFP FAIL LAST YEAR NOW THE OTHER SIDE FAILED. THIS IS A KNOW ISSUES WITH BMW V12 ENGINE. JUST GOOGLE BMW 760LI HPFP. THERE IS A YOUTUBE VIDEO WITH WHAT FAILED IN THE PUMP. THERE ARE ALSO NUMEROUS ONLINE COMMUNITY'S THAT HAVE PICTURES OF THERE FAILED…
Nov 1, 2014 · 56,000 miles
Fuel/propulsion system
WAS DETERMINED BY VOB BMW THAT ONE OR BOTH FUEL PUMPS IS DEFECTIVE IN THE CARS ENGINE. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 50K MILES. BMW IS PROVIDING NO ASSISTANCE WITH THIS ISSUE, I FIND THIS UNBELIEVABLE DUE TO THE SELLING PRICE OF THIS VEHICLE. REPAIR COST IS ESTIMATED AT SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS. BMW STATES THAT THE CURRENT DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMPS WILL BE REPLACED WITH THE SAME EXACT PARTS THAT EXIST IN THE CAR, WITH A 90 DAY WARRANTY. I AM TERRIFIED TO PUT THE CASH INTO THE VEHICLE FOR THE NEW PUMPS TO FAIL AFTER 40K MILES AS WELL. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED, THIS CAR IS IN IMMACULATE CONDITION & SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE AT ALL... *TR
Mar 14, 2014 · 43,000 miles
Fuel/propulsion system
MY BMW HAS BEEN HAVING ISSUES SINCE AROUND 40,000 MILES AND I FINALLY JUST FOUND OUT THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMPS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING TO ALL OF THE 760 BMW'S AT AROUND 40-50K MILES. BMW IS TAKING NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TYPE IN 2003, 2004 OR 2005 760LI BMW AND THE FIRST THING THAT POPS UP IS THE HPFP. THAT SHOULD GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW MANY OF THESE CARS ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE. THERE AREN'T MANY OF THESE MADE AND IT SEEMS LIKE MOST OF THEM ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE. BMW ENDED UP HAVING TO DO A RECALL FOR THERE NEXT MODELS FOR THE FUEL PUMPS AND IT LOOKS LIKE OUR MODELS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED TOO. THE REPLACEMENT COST ON THESE PARTS…
Dec 7, 2012 · 40,000 miles
Fuel/propulsion system
USED CAR PURCHASE. WITHIN 30 DAYS OF PURCHASE 760LI BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS STARTING. ONCE STARTED, IDLE WAS ROUGH. JUMPED BETWEEN 0 AND 1K RPMS WHILE IN PARK. WHILE DRIVING CAR AT APPROX 20-25 MPH CAR ENGINE STALLED (*UNKNOWN TO DRIVER AS IT IS A QUIET RUNNING ENGINE/OCCUPANT CAB). POWER STEERING WAS LOST AND THE DRIVER NEEDED TO HARD CRANK THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO PULL OUT OF TRAFFIC AND ONTO ROADSIDE SAFETY. THIS BEGAN TO OCCUR REPEATEDLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY ON EVERY OCCASION THE CAR WAS DRIVEN. THIS CAR IS A DEATHTRAP!! BMW TOUTS IT AS THEIR FLAGSHIP VEHICLE. SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR I AM NOT ABLE TO DRIVE IT AND NO LONGER FEEL SAFE PLACING MY FAMILY IN THE CAR. THIS CAR SHOULD BE…
May 15, 2012 · 60,000 miles
Electrical system
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 760LI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER THE STEERING WHEEL DURING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE LOCAL MECHANIC PERFORMED A TUNE-UP AND CHECKED TO SEE IF WATER WAS IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE COMPUTER WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE, NOT THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000.
Nov 4, 2011 · 57,000 miles
Engine and engine cooling
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 760LI. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 25 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLANT SERVICE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR UNKNOWN REPAIRS BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER YET THE CHECK ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLANT SERVICE LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW HOW TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,170 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,000.
Jan 21, 2010 · 53,170 miles

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