BMW 7 Series

160 complaints across 4 scored model years and 15 recall campaigns.

Which years to avoid

Ownership label · BMW 7 Series Full report

Grade 2010–2016

2012 vs model median 2.6×

Model median3× median

Engine 11

Drivetrain 6

Tires & Wheels 3

Avoid

2012

Best

2010 · 2016

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Severity-weighted complaint volume and grade by model year for the BMW 7 Series
Year	vs median	Reports	Grade
2010	0.55×	11	B
2012	2.63×	33	F
2013	1.05×	12	C
2016	0.95×	16	B
2023 P	2.17×	36	F
2024 P	0.78×	11	C

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What it costs to run

EPA figures for the most recent model year on record.

EPA fuel economy and drivetrain
Combined MPG	20
City / Highway	17 / 25
Engine	4.4L, 8 cyl
Drive	Rear-Wheel Drive
Annual fuel cost	$4,000

Recalls

15 campaigns on record.

Treat that as a minimum. NHTSA's lookup does not answer to this model's published name, so its campaigns are collected one trim at a time and the list may be short of the full count.

Recall campaigns, largest first
Campaign	Component	Model years	Units affected
24V104000	ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)	2023, 2024	266,716
18V248000	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER	2010, 2012	47,806
23V700000	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:DRIVER MONITORING:CAMERA/SENSOR	2023, 2024	12,296
24V739000	ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)	2023, 2024	11,579
17V067000	POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT	2012	8,752
16V173000	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE	2016	6,110
23V644000	VISIBILITY/WIPER	2023	3,820
24V714000	STEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARM	2024	982

+ 7 further campaigns

Recall work is free at any franchised dealer, whoever owns the car and however old it is. Check a specific car’s VIN on NHTSA’s register before you buy — an unrepaired campaign is among the most commonly missed items on a used vehicle.

Others in Full-Size Cars

Same body and size class. Each grade describes that model against its own history — these are not ranked against each other.

Other models in the same segment
Model	Years to avoid	Grade
Acura RLX	none flagged	C
Audi A6	2019	C
Audi A7	2019	C
Audi A8	none flagged	C
BMW 5 Series	20112012	C
Buick Lacrosse	20112012	C
Cadillac XTS	2013	C
Chevrolet Impala	20112014	C

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2012 7 Series

Complaints in window: 33
Severity-weighted: 52.5
Model median (weighted): 20
vs model median: 2.63×
Recall campaigns (weighted): 2
Open investigations: 0

Score 29.4 F