2006 BMW 7 Series Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 7 Series years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 18 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 29 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 BMW 7 Series. That is the most of any 7 Series model year in the database (18 years). The most reported problem area is air bags (7 complaints, 24%), typically at around 85,500 miles. Complaints mention 1 injury. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
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- 29owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2006 BMW 7 Series problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 7 | 24% | 85,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 7 | 24% | 87,052 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 14% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 3 | 10% | 85,250 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 10% | 47,600 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 10% | 95,286 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 7% | 28,350 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 7% | 86,391 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 3% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 3% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 3% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 3% | 77,547 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 3% | 10,200 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 3% | 109,891 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2006 BMW 7 Series recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Suspension:rear:shock absorber
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the lower rubber mount of the rear shock absorbers may not have been manufactured to specifications and may not adhere correctly to its housing within the shock absorber.
Risk: The bushing could loosen and over time could separate from its housing. The driver will experience impaired vehicle handling and control increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the rear shock absorber free of charge. The recall began on september 13, 2006. Owners may contact bmw at 1-800-831-1117.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Vehicle Rollaway (EA12002) — opened Apr 10, 2012, closed Jan 24, 2013, led to recall 12V502000.
- Vehicle Rollaway (PE11025) — opened Aug 5, 2011, closed Apr 23, 2012.
- Bmw airbag light illumination (EA08001) — opened Jan 4, 2008, closed Dec 31, 2008, led to recall 08V384000.
- Bmw airbag light illumination (PE07045) — opened Sep 4, 2007, closed Jan 4, 2008.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Doors dont always latch and a person was thrown from car, have called dealer ship and they said no recall but my car is doing it and there is a recall for this problem , i need my car added to recall list asap
Blows out while/bluish smoke, shifts into park when in drive or reverse, won't go forward. Transmission fault light on. I have to constantly put oil in it. There is no reason why i should be having all these problems, i see that millions of people that have or purchased this same car have the same…
Brakes have no power almost had accident recall #10v446000 was in freeway all sudden lost brakes look on line this what i found call manufacture dealer they denied service
I purchased the car from a dealer in virginia. Maybe a few weeks later the airbag waarning light came n the screen. I have not been able to drive it becasue when i went to take it to get looked at by a bmw repair person told me that there was a recall on that same issue and the dealer should not…
Takata recall air bag warning light issues, car was stationary
Other BMW 7 Series years
← 2005 7 Series · 2007 7 Series →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 7 Series | 2 | 1 |
| 2011 7 Series | 3 | 1 |
| 2010 7 Series | 2 | 2 |
| 2009 7 Series | 9 | 2 |
| 2008 7 Series | 11 | 1 |
| 2007 7 Series | 13 | 1 |
| 2006 | 29 | 2 |
| 2005 7 Series | 4 | 1 |
| 2004 7 Series | 28 | 4 |
| 2003 7 Series | 8 | 2 |
| 2002 7 Series | 4 | 1 |
| 2001 7 Series | 2 | 0 |
| 2000 7 Series | 2 | 0 |
| 1999 7 Series | 2 | 0 |
| 1998 7 Series | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 7 Series | 2 | 0 |
| 1996 7 Series | 1 | 0 |
| 1995 7 Series | 2 | 0 |
See all BMW 7 Series problems by year, every BMW model, or the BMW VIN decoder.
Similar BMW models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2006 BMW 7 Series?
Owners most often report air bags, power train, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 7 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2006 BMW 7 Series?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2006 BMW 7 Series a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 7 Series model years, the 2006 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.