RecallRadar

Home → Bmw → 7 Series → 2003

2003 Bmw 7 Series Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Serious

11 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.00 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious10V446000

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Vacuum

POWER ASSIST BRAKING PERFORMANCE COULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Moderate04V575000

Seats:Front Assembly:Seat Heater/Cooler

IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE HEATING MAT IN THE BACKREST'S SIDE BOLSTER COULD OVERHEAT AND DAMAGE, OR MELT A SMALL HOLE IN, THIS AREA OF THE SEAT COVER.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE SEAT HEATING CIRCUIT. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING DECEMBER 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FRONT SEAT HEATING SYSTEMS, UPON ENTERING AND EXITING THE VEHICLE, EXCESSIVE CONTACT WITH THE SIDE BOLSTER THAT IS CONTAINED IN THE SEAT'S BACKREST MAY DAMAGE THE HEATING MAT LOCATED IN THIS AREA. IF SUCH DAMAGE WERE TO OCCUR, WITH THE SYSTEM TURNED ON, THE VEHICLE OCCUPANT MAY FEEL EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM THIS AREA.

Complaint volume

11 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

0Crashes
0Fires
0Injuries
0Deaths

Across 11 complaints. Severity Index 0.00.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Seats · Front Assembly · …1 · 9%Seats1 · 9%Wheels1 · 9%Equipment1 · 9%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…1 · 9%Tires1 · 9%Engine1 · 9%Fuel System, Gasoline1 · 9%
  1. Seats:Front Assembly:Power Adjust — 1 reports
  2. Seats — 1 reports
  3. Wheels — 1 reports
  4. Equipment — 1 reports
  5. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Vacuum — 1 reports
  6. Tires — 1 reports
  7. Engine — 1 reports
  8. Fuel System, Gasoline — 1 reports
  9. Seat Belts — 1 reports
  10. Unknown Or Other — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 · 1999 · 2002 (1) · 2003 · 2004 (4) · 2005 (1) · 2006 (3) · 2007 (2) · 2008 (1)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

From the same data desk

Independent sites, same maintainer, same open-data standards.

TireFit
Is that tyre actually right for your car?
2,808 fitment guides
FuelFacts
What that trip really costs in fuel
Live consumption data
CostCompare
What things cost, city by city
2,123 comparisons