Before you buy a used BMW Serie 7 (E65/E66).

2001–2008 · Diesel / Petrol · 2 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

Matti Blume · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

2 documented, sourced faults across its 2 engines.
That is not much data: if no other faults show up here, it does not mean it has none.
They all depend on the equipment or the production date: ask what this car has.
1 official recall on record: ask for the chassis number (VIN) and confirm it has been done.
According to the data we have, the engine with the fewest documented faults is the 735i / 745i / 750i (Petrol).

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

All versions

Sheets the catalogue links to all 2 of its engines.

ZF 6HP mechatronic sleeve leak and harsh shiftsAutomatic gearbox
Period mentioned
Approx. 2001–2013
Mileage mentioned
The sheet does not mention a mileage.
Applies if: Only if fitted with the automatic gearbox described in the record.

730d (M57)

Diesel

Intake swirl flaps (M57)Intake
Period mentioned
1998–2010
Mileage mentioned
The sheet does not mention a mileage.
Applies if: Only if the intake manifold has swirl flaps; some versions do not. Confirm at a garage.

735i / 745i / 750i

Petrol

We have no faults specific to this engine, only those common to every version.

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the BMW Serie 7 (E65/E66)
Engine	Documented faults	Recalls
730d (M57)Diesel	22 with conditions	1
735i / 745i / 750iPetrolFewest documented	11 with conditions	1

According to the data we have, the engine with the fewest documented faults is the 735i / 745i / 750i (Petrol).

By fuel type, the one with the fewest documented faults is: Petrol.

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

A recall existing does not mean this car is affected or that it is still outstanding: it depends on the chassis number, the market and the production date.

Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
Ask an official BMW dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.

Recall: heated backrest overheatingElectrical / seats

How to check it: Check VIN and heating; inspect and add fuse if required.

View full entry

On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 2 checked

Intake

Intake swirl flaps (M57)
Look out for: Usually none until it fails. A common early warning: oil seeping around the flap spindles on top of the engine. If a flap or its screw comes loose and enters a cylinder: sudden heavy knocking, loss of power, smoke and possible turbo damage as well.
Ask them to check: At a garage: confirm whether the manifold has swirl flaps (some versions do not), look for oil around the spindles and play in the flaps, and check the history for earlier replacement or removal. With any new metallic knocking, stop the engine and do not restart it.

Automatic gearbox

ZF 6HP mechatronic sleeve leak and harsh shifts
Look out for: Oil drips or dampness by the electrical connector on the side of the pan, a bump on the downshift just before stopping, harsh or flared shifts (especially 3rd-4th and 4th-5th under throttle) and a limp mode that clears after restarting.
Ask them to check: At a garage: read the gearbox codes, check the fluid level with the official procedure (correct temperature and engine running) and look for a real leak at the sleeve and pan gasket. After a fluid or parts change, the garage should reset adaptations. If limp mode persists, check solenoids and valve body before replacing the gearbox.

OBD codes worth looking for

If they let you read the fault memory with an OBD reader, these are the codes mentioned in this model's sheets:

P0700 P0730

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

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