BMW 7 Series G11/G12 Common Faults: Air Springs, 8HP and Electronics
A G11 7 Series is comfortable until an air spring or a camera module writes a £1,000 story. Here is the fault list we actually work from at Hainault.
What G11 owners actually book in for
G11/G12 (2015–2022) cars from Essex and London arrive for a dropped rear, a camera fault after a windscreen, or an 8HP that shudders in stop-start. The car is complex; the first diagnostic still starts with ISTA, not a parts cannon.
Air suspension
Rear air springs and the compressor are the mechanical regulars. The car will warn “vehicle too low” and disable some driver assists. We leak-test before quoting a compressor. Front springs exist too but rear pairs are the volume job, same family of failure as X5 G05.
Engines and 8HP
B57 diesels want DPF/AdBlue health checks in London use. N63 and later V8s have cooling and oil-consumption histories you should know before you buy. 8HP fluid on a 7 Series is not optional if you want smooth low-speed shifts around London gyratories.
Cameras, air springs and batteries
Four-camera surround and radar need calibration after alignment or windscreen work. A cheap battery that was not registered creates a firework display of warnings that look like “the car is dying”. We register batteries and recode modules in ISTA as a first filter.
Should you keep a G11?
If you budget air springs, CBS, and the odd camera or air-suspension sensor, a G11 is a bargain S-class alternative — without us pretending running costs are 3 Series money. See the ownership-cost article for a yearly sketch.