Used BMW 7 Series 2015-2022 reliability review

The BMW 7 Series is a capable luxury saloon that's greatto drive. It's a good used buy, too

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What should I look for in a used BMW 7 Series?

This is a large car so check the extremities of its body carefully for dents and scrapes picked up in urban car parks. Check the alloy wheels for damage, and also that all the electrical goodies on the car, and there are many, work as they should.

Reported problems with the 7 Series are so far few, and the previous generation had a reasonable record for reliability. However, the car didn’t feature in our most recent What Car? Reliability Survey, but its smaller sibling the 5 Series did. The present version, the 2017 onwards model, finished up in first place out of eight cars in the luxury car class if powered by petrol. Diesel-engined models finished fifth.

The previous 5 Series appears to be slightly more robust than the latest version, with owners telling us that 17% had a fault. More than three-quarters of those cars remained driveable and half were repaired in a day or less. All work was done for free.

According to owners, 17% of the latest 5 Series models had a problem. The most frequently cited related to bodywork, followed by the engine and its electrical systems. There were also non-engine electrical issues including problems with the air-con, infotainment system and sat-nav. More than three-quarters of the cars could be driven and all work was done for free.

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BMW as a brand finished in 13th place out of 30 manufacturers.

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BMW 7 Series 3.0 730d SE Auto Euro 4 4dr

BMW 7 Series

3.0 730d SE Auto Euro 4 4dr

£2,499

BMW 7 SERIES 3.0 730d Sport Auto Euro 4 4dr

BMW 7 SERIES

3.0 730d Sport Auto Euro 4 4dr

RRP £53,637

£2,595

BMW 7 SERIES 4.8 750Li V8 Saloon 4dr Petrol Auto Euro 4 (367 ps)

BMW 7 SERIES

4.8 750Li V8 Saloon 4dr Petrol Auto Euro 4 (367 ps)

£4,649

BMW 7 Series 3.5 735i Sport 4dr

BMW 7 Series

3.5 735i Sport 4dr

£4,995

BMW 7 Series 3.0 730d SE Auto Euro 5 4dr

BMW 7 Series

3.0 730d SE Auto Euro 5 4dr

£4,999

BMW 7 Series 4.8 750i V8 Sport Auto Euro 4 4dr

BMW 7 Series

4.8 750i V8 Sport Auto Euro 4 4dr

£5,490

BMW 7 Series 3.0 730d M Sport Auto Euro 5 4dr

BMW 7 Series

3.0 730d M Sport Auto Euro 5 4dr

£5,499

BMW 7 Series 3.0 730d SE Luxury Edition Auto Euro 5 4dr

BMW 7 Series

3.0 730d SE Luxury Edition Auto Euro 5 4dr

£5,950

BMW 7 SERIES 3.0 730d SE Auto Euro 5 4dr

BMW 7 SERIES

3.0 730d SE Auto Euro 5 4dr

£5,989

About the writer

Mark Pearson

Name: Mark Pearson

Title: Used cars editor

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Mark Pearson has been a motoring journalist for more than 15 years and is currently the used cars editor for What Car?.

Mark spent his formative years at the BBC, where, at various times, he scheduled, broadcast and archived television and radio programmes and researched, wrote and produced promotional material.

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