GMC 1500 vs BMW 740IL

Both cars' complete complaint records, side by side.

Read the totals carefully. NHTSA publishes no sales figures, so the car that sold more collects more complaints regardless of quality. The rows worth weighing are the proportions — the share of complaints that involved harm, and which part dominates.

Measure	GMC 1500	BMW 740IL
Complaints on file	73	180
Model years covered	1985–1996	1993–2001
Worst model year	—	1998
Best model year	—	2000
Crashes reported	5	8
Fires reported	3	5
Injuries reported	2	8
Deaths reported	0	0
Most complained-about part	Windows, Mirrors & Wipers	Engine & Cooling
Share of complaints involving harm	13.7%	11.7%

GMC 1500 by year

4 8 32 29

85 90 94 96

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 21 28.8%

Brakes 11 15.1%

Electrical System 7 9.6%

Transmission & Drivetrain 5 6.8%

Steering 4 5.5%

Fuel & Propulsion 4 5.5%

Seats 4 5.5%

Engine & Cooling 3 4.1%

BMW 740IL by year

10 4 13 14 27 49 7 23 33

93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks

Engine & Cooling 37 20.6%

Electrical System 20 11.1%

Fuel & Propulsion 17 9.4%

Transmission & Drivetrain 13 7.2%

Brakes 13 7.2%

Airbags 12 6.7%

Acceleration & Cruise Control 10 5.6%

Steering 9 5.0%