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U.S. public vehicle records

Bmw 840CI problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

4 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

81,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1994 to 1997 model years. Data snapshot: . 1 complaints include usable failure mileage.

This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Exterior Lighting:Headlights is the most frequently named component, appearing in 3 of 4 complaints (75.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Electrical and battery issues125.0%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Exterior Lighting:Headlights
3
Electrical System
1
Exterior Lighting
1
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Exterior Lighting:Headlights3
Electrical System1
Exterior Lighting1

Exterior Lighting:Headlights: 3; Electrical System: 1; Exterior Lighting: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
0
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
1
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0000
25,000 to 49,9990
50,000 to 74,9990
75,000 to 99,9991
100,000 to 149,9990
150,000 and above0

Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 3 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2002
2
2006
1
2022
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20022
20061
20221

2002: 2; 2006: 1; 2022: 1

Pattern summary

Exterior Lighting:Headlights leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 11474373 · 2022-07-17 (July 17, 2022)

The Lighting Control Board Module (LKM) of the 1996 BMW 840Ci failed in a manner that caused it to catch fire even though the vehicle was not running at the time, and in fact had not been driven in several days. The fire damaged surrounding modules and wiring inside the passenger compartment of the car, and filled the garage with smoke, necessitating dispatch of the local fire department. The failure happened in the early morning hours and was only discovered by chance that allowed the fire to be put out before the car became fully involved, wh…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11474373 at NHTSA ↗

Compare model years

Recalls by model year

All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.

Recall campaigns

Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.

1994
2
1995
1
1996
1
1997
1
Recall campaigns data
CategoryCount
19942
19951
19961
19971

1994: 2; 1995: 1; 1996: 1; 1997: 1

Year-by-year records

Bmw 840CI model-year comparison
Model yearComplaintsRecallsChange in recalls
199412Not available
199501-1
1996110
1997210