2008 BMW 7 SERIES — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
16
Owner Complaints
1
Recall
11
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2008 BMW 7 SERIES
The 2008 BMW 7 SERIES has received a total of 16 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There has been 1 recall campaign affecting this vehicle, covering issues with SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM. 11 technical service bulletins have been issued by BMW of North America, LLC for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Air Bags (2 complaints), Air Bagsfrontalsensorcontrol Module (1 complaint), and Air Bagssensoroccupant Classification (1 complaint).
Recalls for the 2008 BMW 7 SERIES
NHTSA has recorded 1 recall for the 2008 BMW 7 SERIES, potentially affecting up to 198,352 vehicles.
Recall 10V446000 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM
| 198,352 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 24, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-525-7417.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2008 BMW 7 SERIES
16 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2008 BMW 7 SERIES. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bagsfrontalsensorcontrol Module | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bagssensoroccupant Classification | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bagssidewindow | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latcheslockslinkages | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Power Train | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes Hydraulic | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structurebody | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structurebodydoor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
GETTING ERROR "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." IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FIXED ON 06 07 BMW 750LI BY RECALL WHAT MAKES 08 DIFFERENT?
GETTING ERROR "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." IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FIXED ON 06 07 BMW 750LI BY RECALL WHAT MAKES 08 DIFFERENT?
WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A UPWARD INCLINE THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE TO ACCELERATE AND THE TRANSMISSION FAULT LIGHT WOULD COME ON. I WOULD STOP THE VEHICLE AND RESTART THE ENGINE. IT WOULD ONLY HAPPEN AND I STARTED TO DRIVE ON A UPWARD INCLINE. NOW THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION DEFAULT LIGHT REMAINS ON.
THE VERY SAME ISSUE THAT BMW HAS RECALLED THEIR 2006 - 2007 7 SERIES IS AFFECTING MY 2008 7 SERIES AND BMW IS REFUSING THE FIX THE ISSUE. HTTP://BRANDILAWBLOG.FILES.WORDPRESS.COM/2013/12/BMW-RECALL.PDF THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT THAT DETERMINES IF AND HOW THE PASSENGER FRONTAL AIR BAG SHOULD DEPLOY IN A CRASH MAY FATIGUE AND DEVELOP CRACKS WHICH COULD LEAD TO A SYSTEM FAILURE. CONSEQUENCE: SHOULD THE SYSTEM FAIL, IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS WOULD BE DEACTIVATED, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY. NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V-564 COMPONENTS: AIR BAGS AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE. *TR
THE VERY SAME ISSUE THAT BMW HAS RECALLED THEIR 2006 - 2007 7 SERIES IS AFFECTING MY 2008 7 SERIES AND BMW IS REFUSING THE FIX THE ISSUE. HTTP://BRANDILAWBLOG.FILES.WORDPRESS.COM/2013/12/BMW-RECALL.PDF THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT THAT DETERMINES IF AND HOW THE PASSENGER FRONTAL AIR BAG SHOULD DEPLOY IN A CRASH MAY FATIGUE AND DEVELOP CRACKS WHICH COULD LEAD TO A SYSTEM FAILURE. CONSEQUENCE: SHOULD THE SYSTEM FAIL, IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS WOULD BE DEACTIVATED, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY. NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V-564 COMPONENTS: AIR BAGS AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE. *TR
Safety Rating for the 2008 BMW 7 SERIES
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2008 BMW 7 SERIES in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2008 BMW 7 SERIES
BMW of North America, LLC has issued 11 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2008 BMW 7 SERIES. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
SI-B63-02-10 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
BMW: CHECK CONTROL MESSAGE DISPLAYED; TURN SIGNALS FLASH FAST. INTERMITTENTLY OR PERMANENTLY, A BULB OUT CHECK CONTROL MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED, TOGETHER WITH THE TURN SIGNAL FLASHING FAST. *PE UPDATED ON 11/8/2013. *KB
SIB-61-06-12 — AIR BAGS
BMW: STEERING COLUMN SWITCH CENTER CONTAINS ONE OR MORE FAULTS: INTERNAL CONTROL, STEERING WHEEL LOCK RANGE EXCEEDED, WIPER ANGLE DEFECTIVE. VARIOUS CHECK CONTROL MESSAGES APPEAR WITH AIRBAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. *PE
SIB-12-19-11 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
BMW: AFTER BEING REMOVED, THE ELECTRIC MOTOR ELECTRONICS CONNECTOR, THAT LEADS TO AC COMPRESSOR, MUST BE SEALED PROPERLY IN ORDER TO PREVENT WATER INGRESS AFTER BEING REINSTALLED. *PE
SIB-12-19-11 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BMW: AFTER BEING REMOVED, THE ELECTRIC MOTOR ELECTRONICS CONNECTOR, THAT LEADS TO AC COMPRESSOR, MUST BE SEALED PROPERLY IN ORDER TO PREVENT WATER INGRESS AFTER BEING REINSTALLED. *PE
SIB-12-19-11 — EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
BMW: AFTER BEING REMOVED, THE ELECTRIC MOTOR ELECTRONICS CONNECTOR, THAT LEADS TO AC COMPRESSOR, MUST BE SEALED PROPERLY IN ORDER TO PREVENT WATER INGRESS AFTER BEING REINSTALLED. *PE
SIB-13-09-10 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
BMW: SOME MODELS EQUIPPED WITH THE N54 ENGINE MAY HAVE AN EXCESSIVE CRANK TIME BEFORE STARTING. *RM
SI-B13-07-10 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
BMW: AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED; LOW RESISTANCE FAULT STORED. ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING LOW RESISTANCE CE FAULTS MAY BE STORED FOR THE PASSENGER FRONT AIRBAG 930915, , AND 930921. NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE
SIB-12-10-10 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
BMW: PROGRAM CONTROL UNITS (DME). DUE TO ERRORS IN THE DATA IN THE DME (DIGITAL MOTOR ELECTRONICS), IN THE TEST MODULE NO VALUES CAN BE READ OUT FOR THE FOLLOWING ERROR CODES-OXYGEN SENSOR CHECK RESPONSE TIME; CHARGE AIR TEMPERATURE SENSOR; INTAKE AIR TEMPERATURE SENSOR. DME SOFTWARE ERROR. *PE
SI-B 64-02-10 — EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
BMW: BLOWER SPEED IS GREATLY REDUCED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY. THE BLOWER INDICATOR IN THE IHKA CONTROL PANEL REMAINS UNCHANGED. SYSTEM CONTROL SOFTWARE FOR THE HEATING/AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM IS CAUSE. *PE
SI-B61-06-09 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
BMW: SPORADICALLY, THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS MAY OCCUR-WIPERS ARE RUNNING ON A DRY WINDOW; SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER ARE INOPERATIVE; CHECK CONTROL MESSAGE EMF DROPPED OUT (DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEM EMERGENCY MODE). *PE
Showing 10 of 11 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2008 BMW 7 SERIES
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the BMW 7 SERIES
- 2003 BMW 7 SERIES — 11 complaints
- 2004 BMW 7 SERIES — 35 complaints
- 2005 BMW 7 SERIES — 7 complaints
- 2006 BMW 7 SERIES — 42 complaints
- 2007 BMW 7 SERIES — 18 complaints
- 2008 BMW 7 SERIES (current)
- 2009 BMW 7 SERIES — 17 complaints
- 2010 BMW 7 SERIES — 2 complaints
- 2011 BMW 7 SERIES — 3 complaints
- 2012 BMW 7 SERIES — 4 complaints