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What 14 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 BMW 740li

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (14)Crash / fire / injury (2)Electrical system (4)Engine (4)Fuel system (4)Transmission & drivetrain (3)Airbags (1)Body & structure (1)

1 of 14 complaints match · Electrical system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jan 2, 2020Electrical systemCrash

WALKING OUT OF THE GROCERY STORE I NOTICED MY CAR HAD MOVED, HIT THE CURB AND DAMAGED MY BOTTOM FRONT BUMPER. I STARTED AND TURNED ON MY CAR AND THEN NOTICED THE SHIFTER WAS ON NEUTRAL AND NOT PARKED. SHIFTER WOULD ONLY SHIFT TO ANY GEAR EXCEPT FOR THE PARKING GEAR. I DROVE MY CAR HOME AND TRIED PARKING MY CAR IN THE GARAGE, BUT HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY PARKING SO IT WOULDN'T ROLL AGAIN. SHIFTER WON'T GO BACK TO PARKING GEAR EVER SINCE THAT DAY.

NHTSA ODI 11296750

Working with the data? Download all 14 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 26, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 BMW 740li verdict →