The 1997 BMW 7 Series is a full-size car that came with a choice of 4.4L 8-cyl and 5.4L 12-cyl engines. At 29 years old, many are reaching the point where repairs cost more than the car is worth. Running or not, we'll make you an offer and tow it away for free.
| Body style | Large Cars |
|---|---|
| Engines | 4.4L 8-cyl, 5.4L 12-cyl |
| Transmissions | Automatic 5-spd |
| Drive | Rear-Wheel Drive |
| Fuel | Premium Gasoline |
| Fuel economy | 14–15 city / 18–22 highway / 15–18 combined MPG |
| EPA annual fuel cost | $4,550–$5,500 a year (EPA estimate at current fuel prices, 15,000 miles) |
| Tailpipe CO₂ | 494–592 grams per mile |
| Versions tested by EPA | 2 configurations: 740il, 750il |
| Age | 29 years |
Specs, fuel cost and emissions from the EPA's fueleconomy.gov data. Your car's exact equipment may differ.
NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls covering the 1997 BMW 7 Series. Open recalls don't stop you from selling or junking the car, but check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which apply to yours.
US Specs is recalling one 2002 Porsche Carrera, one 1997 BMW 750IL, and two 1986 BMW 635 CSI vehicles for failing to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111, "Rearview Mirrors." While performing conformity-related modifications for the US market, labels with an incorrect size font were applied to the passenger side…
Risk: Drivers of these vehicles may not know the proximity of the objects in the passenger side mirror, increasing the risk of a crash.
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Road grit and gravel associated with winter road conditions can penetrate the rubber of the lower front spring mounts and accumulate in the mounts causing notches or pits to develop. These notches can develop cracks resulting in breakage of a bottom coil of the spring.
Risk: The vehicle's ride height could be affected causing noise while the vehicle is driven. The vehicle's dynamic stability can be affected reducing the driver's ability to maintain control of the vehicle.
The cruise control and throttle cables are attached to the same throttle valve actuating lever at the throttle housing. It is possible that the plastic bushing on either cable could break due to environmental influences coupled with vibration. If the bushing breaks, the outer cable housing can separate from the bushing. In this case…
Risk: This could cause the throttle valve to remain partially open. It his were to occur, the car might not decelerate as expected increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Owners have filed 35 complaints about the 1997 BMW 7 Series with NHTSA. 2 reports involved a crash and 1 report involved a fire. Owners reported 1 injury.
Complaints are reports from owners and aren't verified by NHTSA. One complaint can list several components. Mileage is the median odometer reading owners reported for that component.
Manufacturers have filed 20 technical service bulletins and communications with NHTSA covering the 1997 BMW 7 Series. These are repair instructions for known issues, not recalls.
The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
Various functions of the camera-based driver assistance systems (ADCAM system) can lead to customer complaints.
Radio / Navigation / Head Unit Identification Guide
SERVICE ACTION: PROGRAM DME: The incorrect dataset could be programmed into DME 5.2.1 control module.
SERVICE ACTION: PROGRAM DME (FOR O2 SENSORS): Due to DME software error, the following oxygen sensors plausibility fault codes may be stored in DME 5.2.1 control module:
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
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins).
NHTSA opened 1 defect investigation covering the 1997 BMW 7 Series.
Windshield wiper inoperation
BMW believes that there is no indication of a systematic or safety defect concerning the subject wiper relay.the main reason that precipitated the issuance of the service bulletin was to inform dealers of a new relay part number for the subject vehicles since this part number was not included in the part catalogs.odi h
It depends on its condition, whether major parts like the engine, transmission and catalytic converter are still there, and current scrap and parts prices where you live. Its parts make up much of its value. Enter your ZIP code above for a free offer on your specific car.
Yes. We buy 1997 7 Seriess that don't start, were in an accident, failed inspection or have a blown engine or transmission. Towing is always free.
Yes. Open recalls don't prevent a junk sale. NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 1997 BMW 7 Series; you can check whether any are still open on yours with the VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Usually the title and a photo ID. Rules differ by state, including what to do with your plates and whether to file a notice of sale. Check our state-by-state car title guides for the official forms.
Data retrieved October 2026.
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