1997 Bmw 850: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
7 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
118,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1997 model year. Data updated: . 1 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 7 complaints (14.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 2 | 28.6% |
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Air Bags | 1 |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 1 |
| Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery | 1 |
| Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator | 1 |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control | 1 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 |
Air Bags: 1; Air Bags:Frontal: 1; Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery: 1; Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator: 1; Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control: 1; Unknown Or Other: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 0
100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 6 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 1 |
| 1999 | 4 |
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2004 | 1 |
1997: 1; 1999: 4; 2000: 1; 2004: 1
Pattern summary
Air Bags leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 2 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10072034 · 2004-05-04 (May 4, 2004)
CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT AND ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT IT HEAD ON. DRIVER OF THE OTHER CAR WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 40 MPH. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 118,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10072034 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 552599 · 2000-06-12 (June 12, 2000)
ELECTRICAL SHORT UNDER THE DASH RESULTED IN FIRE.YH
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 552599 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 606813 · 1999-02-01 (February 1, 1999)
ALTERNATOR FAILED. *YC
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 606813 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 606982 · 1999-02-01 (February 1, 1999)
BATTERY FAILED. *YC
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 606982 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 607895 · 1999-02-01 (February 1, 1999)
ASH TRAY MALFUNCTIONED. *YC
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 607895 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 609385 · 1999-02-01 (February 1, 1999)
EGR SENSOR FAILED TWICE. *YC
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 609385 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 814738 · 1997-07-21 (July 21, 1997)
WHILE DRIVING 45-50 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A DIRECT FRONTAL IMPACT, AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 814738 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
7 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 1986 | 1987 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags:Frontal | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 133.3%ODI 8022721CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN DRIVING AT 20MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING THE AIR BAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO PULL OVER. DEALER NOTIFIED | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 114.3%ODI 814738WHILE DRIVING 45-50 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A DIRECT FRONTAL IMPACT, AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *AK |
| Air Bags | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 114.3%ODI 10072034 · 118,000 miCONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT AND ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT IT HEAD ON. DRIVER OF THE OTHER CAR WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 40 MPH. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *AK |
| Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 114.3% |
| Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 114.3% |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 114.3% |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 114.3% |
| Exterior Lighting:Headlights | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 8009889HEADLIGHTS FAIL TO HAVE PROPER ILLUMINATION WHILE DRIVING. THIS CAUSES POOR VISIBILITY FOR DRIVER. ALSO, HEADLIGHTS DO NOT FIT PROPERLY INTO SOCKETS.*AK. CONSUMER STATES THE DEALERS SOULTION IS TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT AT $500.00 EACH WITH THE SAME PARTS THAT WILL FAIL AGAIN, THE ADJUSTERS FALL OFF ON THEIR OWN.*JB | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Gear Position Indication (Prndl) | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | Too few reports for a range | 118,000 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10072034 · 118,000 miCONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT AND ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT IT HEAD ON. DRIVER OF THE OTHER CAR WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 40 MPH. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *AK |
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
1996: 1 complaints · 1997: 6 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1997 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Air Bags | Air Bags:Frontal | Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery | Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator | Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash | Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control | Unknown Or Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.