Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2008 BMW 7 Series, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags3
- Structure2
- Service brakes, hydraulic1
- Wheels1
- Equipment1
- Power train1
- Seat belts1
- Tires1
- Seats1
- Exterior lighting1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Engines
The most common engines in 2008 BMW 7 Series cars on Dutch roads are the 3.0 petrol (240 kW, 322 hp) and 4.4 petrol (300 kW, 402 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0 petrol | 240 kW 322 hp | 40 |
| 4.4 petrol | 300 kW 402 hp | 38 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
119 first registered in 2008 are on Dutch roads; 87% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €135,930.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen54
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde33
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm19
- Band onvoldoende profiel18
- Band beschadigd17
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm17
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld15
- Veer gebroken of gescheurd12
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
443 cars built in 2008 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 238 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 697 of these cars first registered in 2008 took their annual MOT test. 72% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2008 the figure was 57%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2008 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 1.6% | 17.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1.0% | 19.8% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 0.9% | 2.0% |
| Visibility | 0.7% | 6.7% |
| Tyres | 0.4% | 7.6% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 0.1% | 7.3% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
58 of these cars first registered in 2008 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 301,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
74 2008 cars are on the New Zealand register; 58% arrived as used imports, 35% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 2008 BMW 7 Series.
| 2017268 19 May 2017 | Structure On certain vehicles equipped with the Comfort Access or Comfort Access in combination with the Soft Close Automatic door latching system options, the doors may … |
| 2012350 17 Oct 2012 | Powertrain On certain vehicles equipped with the Comfort Access option, if the driver depresses the start-stop button multiple times in rapid succession, the transmission … |
| 2010328 1 Oct 2010 | Brakes On certain vehicles, a check valve in the brake vacuum pump may leak a small amount of lubricating oil. Over time, this could result in contamination of the br… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What BMW told its dealers about the 2008 BMW 7 Series: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10249437 | The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met. |
| 10249027 | The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle discharged battery complaints. |
| 10247567 | Engine will crank but not start. There is no communication with the integrated fuel module (TFE) whendiagnosing with ISTA. The following two fault codes will be stored in the DME: 032B43 - Low fuel pressure system, electric fuel pump: pressure value too low CDA594 - Message (- 0x33E) missing, receiver DME, transmitter TFE |
| 10245422 | Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle. Depending on the vehicles equipment and settings, no acoustic or optical confirmation (folding the mirrors/blinking confirmation) is noticeable. Additionally, the red anti-theft alarm LED in the interior mirror does not briefly flash every 2 seconds, indicating the alarm is armed. |
| 10244242 | Various functions of the camera-based driver assistance systems (ADCAM system) can lead to customer complaints. |
| 10182619 | Discharged Battery Energy Diagnosis Must Be Performed: The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle "discharged battery" complaints. In order to properly repair the vehicle the first time in the workshop, it is very important that the diagnostic test plans are performed to completion, with all results taken into consideration. Without performing the energy diagnosis test plan, the root caus |
| 10058483 | BMW: PROCEDURAL INFORMATION ON THE INSTALLATION OF FUEL SYSTEM LOW PRESSURE SENSOR AND NOT CORRECTLY INSTALLED WILL LEAD TO FAILURE OF LOW PRESSURE SENSOR AND METAL SUPPLY LINE. MODEL 2008-14. *PE |
| 10057568 | BMW: ON SOME VEHICLES, WHEN STARTING, LOW BEAM, WITH 0552 OPTION, WOULD BRIEFLY FLASHES, DUE TO A FAULTY LED MAIN LIGHT MODULE THAT NEEDS REPLACING. MODEL 2008-14 F01, F02, F06, F07, F10, F12, F13, F25. *PE |
| 10057527 | BMW: SELECTIVE CATALYST REDUCTION MODULE (SCR) HAS A STORED FAULT, PRESSURE BUILD UP IS LOW, CAUSING SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. * |
| 10057338 | BMW: ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, ENGINE TIMING CHAIN SHOULD BE CHECKED FOR EARLY STAGES OF WEAR, AND A REPAIR SOLUTION SHOULD BE PROVIDED. *PE UPDATED 9/25/15. *PE UPDATED 10/6/15. *PE |
| 10056099 | BMW: WHEN USING IPHONE, VARIOUS CONNECTIVITY FAILURES OCCUR, SUCH AS DISCONNECTION OF CALL, LIST OF CONTACTS INCOMPLETE, DUE TO THE VARIANTS AND SOFTWARE USED. MODEL 2008-2014. |
| 10052365 | BMW: WARNING LAMPS ARE ILLUMINATED FOR THE DSC, ABS AND BRAKE AND A POSSIBLE WARNING IN CONTROL DISPLAY FOR CHASSIS CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE. MODELS 2012 F25, 30, 01, 02, 07, 10, 12, 13, E70, 71, 84. *PE |
| 10052012 | BMW: BATTERY HAS AN INCREASED DEMAND DUE TO DEVELOPEMENTAL PROCESS OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THIS IS CAUSING THE BATTER TO NEED TO UNDERGO AN ENERGY DIAGNOSIS. *KB |
| 10051519 | BMW: THE HIGH-VOLTAGE (HV) BATTERY CELLS COULD BE DAMAGED IF THE VEHICLE IS PREVENTED FROM ENTERING SLEEP MODE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. UPDATED 03/11/2013 *JS |
| 10046859 | BMW: DUE TO DAMAGED SEAL RING, DURING ASSEMBLY, ENGINE OIL IS LEAKING FROM ENGINE OIL PUMP VOLUME CONTROL VALVE GASKET SEAL RING. MODELS E70, E71, F01, F02, F04, F07, F10, F12, F13. NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE |
| 10045300 | BMW: CRUISE CONTROL IS OPERATING AT 40 MILES PER HOUR, WHEN HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY DISCHARGES, DUE TO POSSIBLY INSTALLED INCORRECT OR NON APPROVED SIZE TIRES AND WHEELS ON VEHICLE. *PE |
| 10045282 | BMW: WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, AT TIMES WOULD BE ROUGH RUNNING; WHITE OR BLUE SMOKE SEEN EXITING EXHAUST SYSTEM AND THE ENGINE OIL IS CONSUMED ABOVE SPECIFICATIONS. *PE UPDATED 1/11/13. *PE |
| 10044281 | BMW: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. ON CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008-2011 VEHICLES, A DEFECT INVOLVING THE ELECTRIC AUXILIARY WATER PUMP CAN OVER HEAT OR FAIL TO COOL ENGINE AND FIRE MAY OCCUR IN VEHICLE OR ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *PE |
| 10044024 | BMW: WIPERS LIGHTS AND FRONT POWER WINDOWS ARE INOPERATIVE. THIS SITUATION MAY START AND LEAD TO A PERMANENT FAULT. ALSO INCLUDED MODEL F07 (5 SERIES GRAN TURISMO) MODEL YEARS UP TO MARCH 2012. *JS |
| 10043714 | 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 |
| 10043689 | BMW: AFTER A FEW MILES OR SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES, CHECK CONTROL MESSAGE, HYBRID MALFUNCTION, MAY APPEAR AFTER PROGRAMMING OF SOFTWARE FOR VEHICLE. *PE |
| 10042487 | 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 |
| 10040368 | BMW SERVICE CAMPAIGN: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL PUMP WHICH COULD NOT MEET EMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS. THERE MAY BE A LONG CRANK AND A SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT. *RM |
| 10040046 | BMW: WHEN OUTSIDE TEMP IS BELOW FREEZING THE OUTSIDE DOORS WILL NOT CLOSE OR ARE DIFFICULT TO OPEN. A DOOR CABLE HAS MOISTURE INTRUSION AND FREEZES. *RM |
| 10039764 | BMW: A NOISE IS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE WHILE RUNNING. THE ALTERNATOR DRIVE BELT TENSIONER IS LOOSE AND/OR SHOWS WEAR. *RM |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Vehicle Rollaway
Vehicle Rollaway
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation