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2018 BMW 7 Series

Plug-in hybrid Gas

Large Cars
7 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

85 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

Recalls1 critical 1

Complaintsnone reporting a crash, fire or injury 8

Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 27 mpg

2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2018 BMW 7 Series is sold in the U.S. as a plug-in hybrid and gas large sedan with 7 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the 740e xDrive, is EPA-rated at 27 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 8 complaints, most often about the engine.

BMW 7 Series — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — BMW 7 Series · Photo: Alexander-93 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Range	kWh/100mi	Charge (240V)	Annual fuel*
740e xDrive	Plug-in hybrid	AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo + 83kW DCPM	25	29	27 (33 MPGe blended)	14 mi electric	52	3 h	$3,050
740i	Gas	RWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	21	29	24	—	—	—	$3,400
740i xDrive	Gas	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	20	29	23	—	—	—	$3,550
750i	Gas	RWD	4.4L 8-cyl turbo	17	25	20	—	—	—	$4,100
750i xDrive	Gas	AWD	4.4L 8-cyl turbo	16	25	19	—	—	—	$4,350
Alpina B7 xDrive	Gas	AWD	4.4L 8-cyl turbo	16	25	19	—	—	—	$4,350
M760i xDrive	Gas	AWD	6.6L 12-cyl turbo	13	20	16	—	—	—	$5,150

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 38770, 38632, 38633, 38634, 38635, 38636, 38718.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
740e xDrive	3 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV125 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay
740i, M760i xDrive	3 / 10	Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 / California LEV-III ULEV125	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
740i xDrive, 750i, 750i xDrive, Alpina B7 xDrive	3 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV125 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Gas-guzzler tax applies to M760i xDrive — a federal excise the manufacturer pays and prices in.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sedan/Saloon
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	6
Displacement	3 L

Engine Output

Horsepower

322 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain	RWD/Rear-Wheel Drive
Transmission	Automatic
Transmission speeds	8

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning

Optional: Adaptive cruise control, Automatic emergency braking, Lane keeping assist, Parking assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: 7-Series, xDrive). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	200.8–206.3 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	74.8 in
Height	57.9–58.3 in
Wheelbase	120.9–126.4 in
Track, front	63.8 in
Track, rear	65.0 in
Curb weight	4,522–5,128 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	49/51 to 54/46

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 4 configurations: 740LE 4-door Sedan LWB, 750I xDrive 4-door Sedan SWB, 750LI xDrive 4-door Sedan LWB, M760LI xDrive 4-door Sedan LWB. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

!critical

Equipment

3,501 vehicles 98% reported repaired built Feb 20, 2018 – Aug 17, 2018

Problem BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW 330e iPerformance, i3 Rex, i3 Sport Rex, X5 xDrive40e, i3 BEV, i3 Sport BEV and 2019 i8 and i8 Roadster vehicles and 2018-2019 530e iPerformance, 530e xDrive iPerformance and 740Le xDrive iPerformance vehicles. Capacitors within the TurboCord Portable Chargers may fail, possibly resulting in a shock hazard or a fire. Risk An electrical shock or a fire can increase the risk of injury or death. Fix BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the charging cable, and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 22, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 18V652000 reported Sep 20, 2018 BMW of North America, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

NHTSA defect investigations

Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021. On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject mat

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific 7 Series

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2018 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. BMW publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →BMW’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2018 BMW 7 Series, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

8complaints filed

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

16 per 10,000 built · BMW reported 5,009 7 Series built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2019: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 3

Most-cited components

Engine 3

Suspension 2

Electrical System 2

Service Brakes 1

Seat Belts 1

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

The contact owns a 2018 BMW 740LE. The contact stated that the starter failed and caused the A/C to not operate properly. There were several unknown messages displayed, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode.

Electrical System at 158,000 miles Aug 24, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11759023

BMW issued a warranty extension covering air suspension struts for certain vehicles (8 years / 80,000 miles). I own a 2018 BMW 740i. I reported front suspension concerns to an authorized BMW dealership (United BMW, Alpharetta, GA) at 64,354 miles (8/16/23) and again at 77,582 miles(3/19/24.

Suspension Jan 9, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11709831

The contact owns a 2018 BMW 750I. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine overheated with the temperature gauge indicating that the engine was hot(H) with the check engine warning light illuminated.

Engine at 87,000 miles Apr 24, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11656615

The contact owns a 2018 Bmw 740Le. While driving 35 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle failed to stop. As a result, the vehicle crashed into another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was not filed. There were no injuries sustained.

Service Brakes at 25,000 miles Oct 15, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11268691

Dashboard display randomly flickers and blinks while driving Seatbelt notification chime rings even when the passenger seat is empty

Electrical System Feb 3, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11450161

The contact owns a 2018 BMW 740i. The contact stated when he was starting his vehicle a warning for "chassis" was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaning.

Suspension at 96,000 miles Jan 8, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11634894

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by BMW itself: 5 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 7 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 100 per 100,000 built. Every 7 Series model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Extended coverage on file 11 filings by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

15 years or 150,000 miles · BMW warranty extension 1390900300For this vehicle, the EVAP systems purge (vent) valve limited warranty for defects in materials or workmanship has been extended to 15 years/150,000 miles, from the original 10 years/120,000 miles…
8 years or 80,000 miles · BMW warranty extension 3711900100The front and rear AIR suspension strut assemblies limited warranty for defects in materials or workmanship has been extended to 8 years /80,000 miles as determined from the original in-service date.
Term not in NHTSA’s summary · BMW warranty extension 6577900600A situation may occur where the front passenger seat is not occupied.
10 years or 120,000 miles · BMW warranty extension 1712900100The high-temperature (HT) coolant expansion tanks breathing line/pipe limited warranty for defects in materials and / workmanship has been extended to 10 years / 120,000 miles as determined from the…
15 years or 150,000 miles · BMW warranty extension 6127900700The High-Voltage (HV) Battery Assembly Cell Modules Temperature Sensors (Internal NTC repair kit-specific) limited warranty for defects in materials or workmanship has been extended to 15 years…
Term not in NHTSA’s summary · BMW warranty extension B011624The Telematics Control Units (TCU) Internal Emergency (Backup) Battery for defects in materials and/or workmanship has been extended to 6 years without mileage limitation, as determined from the…

5 more in this page’s JSON.

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every BMW warranty extension (46) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 1,286

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-06-26

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 1266 service bulletins, 20 warranty extensions

Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Engine, Equipment Adaptive/Mobility, Back Over Prevention.

B010224 Warranty extension
2026-06-26 · Engine
The EVAP systems purge (vent) valve limited warranty for defects in materials and / or workmanship has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles as determined from the original first in-service / delivery date.
B011325 Warranty extension
2026-05-07 · Engine
The EVAP systems purge (vent) valve limited warranty for defects in materials and / or workmanship has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles as determined from the original first in-service / delivery date.
B010522 Warranty extension
2026-03-27 · Suspension
THE FRONT AND REAR AIR SUSPENSION STRUT ASSEMBLIES LIMITED WARRANTY FOR DEFECTS IN MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO 8 YEARS /80,000 MILES AS DETERMINED FROM THE ORIGINAL IN-SERVICE DATE.
B720125 Warranty extension
2026-02-11 · Electrical System
A situation may occur where the front passenger seat is not occupied; however, a “fasten seat belt” warning and a front passenger seat air bag deactivation message appears. If the situation is currently present, sit in the seat and move the seat to a slightly different position. The POL (Passenger Occupancy Light) light should now function correctly. In some cases, the Air bag Warning Light was il
B010525 Warranty extension
2025-05-19 · Engine
The high-temperature (HT) coolant expansion tanks breathing line/pipe limited warranty for defects in materials and / workmanship has been extended to 10 years / 120,000 miles as determined from the original first in-service / delivery date.
B720125 Warranty extension
2025-04-18 · Air Bags
The Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Front Passenger’s Seat Occupancy Capacitive Interior Sensor (CIS) Mat for defects in materials and/or workmanship that causes a false seat occupancy alert to occur has been extended to 10 years / 120,000 miles as determined from the vehicle's original in-service / first delivery date.
B011624 Warranty extension
2025-01-16 · Electrical System
The Telematics Control Units (TCU) Internal Emergency (Backup) Battery for defects in materials and/or workmanship has been extended to 6 years without mileage limitation, as determined from the vehicles original first in-service / delivery date. This coverage is subject to the same vehicle eligibility requirements, limitations, and exclusions that apply to the BMW New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
B011124 Warranty extension
2024-12-04 · Electrical System
the High-Voltage (HV) Battery Assembly Cell Modules Temperature Sensors (Internal NTC repair kit-specific) limited warranty for defects in materials or workmanship has been extended to 15 years/150,000 miles as determined from the original in-service/first delivery date.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 5.5%

failed emissions

218 initial inspections of 210 vehicles.

Measure	The 2018 7 Series	Every 2018 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	5.5%	3.0%	217
Failed the safety inspection	0.46%	1.9%	218
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.46%	0.22%	218
Miles driven a year	8,904	10,002	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	73,980	82,833	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2018 vehicle” is every 2018 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

7 Series by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2027 A^* 0 0 26 mpg 2026 A 1 0 28 mpg 2025 D 5 2 28 mpg 2024 F 8 8 28 mpg 2023 F 11 23 27 mpg 2022 C 2 4 25 mpg 2021 F 9 5 25 mpg 2020 F 9 5 24 mpg 2019 C 3 5 27 mpg 2018 this page B 1 8 27 mpg 2017 A 0 12 27 mpg 2016 A 1 24 24 mpg

Common questions about the 2018 7 Series

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2018 BMW 7 Series have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2018 BMW 7 Series, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 18V652000, covering Equipment. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2018 BMW 7 Series?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2018 BMW 7 Series yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it B (85/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2018 BMW 7 Series?

Across the 7 EPA-rated configurations of the 2018 BMW 7 Series, the best EPA combined figure is 27 mpg (MPGe on the electrified versions). Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2018 BMW 7 Series?

Transport Canada measured it at 200.8–206.3 in long, 74.8 in wide (body, without mirrors), 57.9–58.3 in tall, on a 120.9–126.4 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 4,522–5,128 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2018 BMW 7 Series?

Owners have filed 8 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 BMW 7 Series, most often about engine, suspension, electrical system. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2018 BMW 7 Series?

The EPA smog rating for the 2018 BMW 7 Series is 3 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III ULEV125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2018 BMW 7 Series?

The manufacturer has filed 1286 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2018 BMW 7 Series, most often covering electrical system, equipment, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-06-26. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2018 BMW 7 Series do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2018 BMW 7 Series failed the emissions check on 5.5% of first inspections — higher than the 3.0% for every 2018 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.46% (every 2018 vehicle: 1.9%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	7 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	7 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	1	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	8	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	none	NHTSA NCAP	NHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe.
Service bulletins	1286	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	1	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	12 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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