BMW 745I · model year

2004 BMW 745I

41 NHTSA complaints, 7 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2004BMW745I carries 41 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 7 crashes, 5 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2004 745I is electrical system with 9 filings, followed by power train (8) and engine (6). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 2004 745I. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

41
Complaints
7
Crashes
5
Fires
5
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

41 filings

Crashes Reported

7 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM9
POWER TRAIN8
ENGINE6
SERVICE BRAKES3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING2
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION2
AIR BAGS2
STEERING1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1
SEATS1
WHEELS1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING1
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS1

Recent Complaints

20220908CrashELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The electric parking gear shift slipped out of park on it own. When I stepped out of the car and the gear was placed in P park position, I got out the car was completely in park and not moving, I went to open my garage and planned to come back and drive car in garage. The car automatically with no one driving slipped into another gear on its own, I looked up as I was opening garage the car was driving towards me and pinned me in between the garage and car. I was stuck and screaming for help I almost lost my life a neighbor ran over and put it in reverse and saved my life. I was car flighted to trauma unit with fractured hips and pelvic area. I was almost killed in this accident.

20220908CrashPOWER TRAIN

The electric parking gear shift slipped out of park on it own. When I stepped out of the car and the gear was placed in P park position, I got out the car was completely in park and not moving, I went to open my garage and planned to come back and drive car in garage. The car automatically with no one driving slipped into another gear on its own, I looked up as I was opening garage the car was driving towards me and pinned me in between the garage and car. I was stuck and screaming for help I almost lost my life a neighbor ran over and put it in reverse and saved my life. I was car flighted to trauma unit with fractured hips and pelvic area. I was almost killed in this accident.

20220908CrashFORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

The electric parking gear shift slipped out of park on it own. When I stepped out of the car and the gear was placed in P park position, I got out the car was completely in park and not moving, I went to open my garage and planned to come back and drive car in garage. The car automatically with no one driving slipped into another gear on its own, I looked up as I was opening garage the car was driving towards me and pinned me in between the garage and car. I was stuck and screaming for help I almost lost my life a neighbor ran over and put it in reverse and saved my life. I was car flighted to trauma unit with fractured hips and pelvic area. I was almost killed in this accident.

20200723FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

BMW 745I 2004 ..ERROR CODE FOR HEADLIGHTS APPEAR ON DASH..I WENT AND REPLACE ALL LIGHT BULBS THEN NOTICED ALL THE WIRING IN THE HEADLIGHT UNIT ARE BRIDLE AND BROKEN DOWN CAUSING SHORTAGES AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS...VERY DANGEROUS IF DRIVING CAN ACTUALLY CAUSE A FIRE

Mileage: 2

20200723FireENGINE

BMW 745I 2004 ..ERROR CODE FOR HEADLIGHTS APPEAR ON DASH..I WENT AND REPLACE ALL LIGHT BULBS THEN NOTICED ALL THE WIRING IN THE HEADLIGHT UNIT ARE BRIDLE AND BROKEN DOWN CAUSING SHORTAGES AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS...VERY DANGEROUS IF DRIVING CAN ACTUALLY CAUSE A FIRE

Mileage: 2

20200723FireEXTERIOR LIGHTING

BMW 745I 2004 ..ERROR CODE FOR HEADLIGHTS APPEAR ON DASH..I WENT AND REPLACE ALL LIGHT BULBS THEN NOTICED ALL THE WIRING IN THE HEADLIGHT UNIT ARE BRIDLE AND BROKEN DOWN CAUSING SHORTAGES AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS...VERY DANGEROUS IF DRIVING CAN ACTUALLY CAUSE A FIRE

Mileage: 2

20161206WHEELS

MY WHEELS HAVE BEEN SEEPING AIR FOR A YEAR NOW. I TAKE THE RIM IN TO GET REPAIRED.TECH NOTIFIED ME THE WHEEL IS USELESS AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. WHILE SHIPPING AROUND, NO WHEEL SHOP HAS BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE A REPLACEMENT, INCLUDING THE DEALER WHO SOLD IT TO ME. I PAID OVER 2600 FOR WHEELS AND TIRES EXPECTING AT LEAST THE WHEELS THE LIFE OF THE CAR CONSIDERING THE WHEELS BEING LUXURY. DURING A EXTENSIVE SEARCH FOR A REMEDY WITHOUT HAVING TO BUY A NEW SET OF WHEELS I CAME ACROSS THIS WEBSITE REGARDING A RECALL OF OVER 1500 WHEELS MADE BY SEVAS MODEL S10. HOW DO I GO BY TO HONOR THIS RECALL...I STILL HAVE WHEELS AND ORIGINAL TIRES. *TR

20151222FireAIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 BMW 745I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN UNUSUALLY LOUD NOISE AND THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE EXPLODED INTO FLAMES. THE CONTACT'S CLOTHES CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED IN FRONT OF A FIRE STATION WHERE THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A TOW YARD. BOTH FIRE AND POLICE REPORTS WERE FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, BUT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. WHEN NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT, THE MANUFACTURER STATED THE EXPLOSION COULD HAVE BEEN FROM THE AIR BAGS; HOWEVER, BMW DID NOT USE TAKATA AIR BAGS. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

Mileage: 150,000

20150806FireSEATS

ON JULY 15, 2015, I WAS DRIVING ON FAR LEFT LANE OF HIGHWAY 65 HEADED TOWARD I80 TO SACRAMENTO WHEN I STARTED SMELLING HAIR BURNING AND FELT INTENSE HEAT ON MY LOWER BACK WHICH WAS PRESSING AGAINST THE DRIVER SEAT BACK. QUICKLY SMOKE STARTED COMING UP BETWEEN BY LEFT ARM AND ACROSS MY BODY. I WAS UNSURE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING SO ATTEMPTED TO MOVE ACROSS HIGHWAY TO FAR RIGHT LANE PULL OVER ONTO HIGHWAY SHOULDER. AS SOON AS I COULD, I PARKED THE CAR JUMPED OUT OF THE DRIVER SEAT AND SAW THE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK, I GRABBED MY BOTTLE OF WATER AND POURED IT ONTO THE SEAT WHERE AN APPARENT HOLE HAD BURNED THRU. WHEN SAFE, DROVE HOME AND CALLED BMW DEALERSHIP IN ROSEVILLE, CA TO REPORT THE INCIDENT. THE CAR WAS TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP ON 7/16. THEY HAVE REPORTED IT AS A FAULTY HEATING MECHANISM TO BMW CORPORATE OFFICE. HOWEVER, THERE IS YET NO RESPONSE FROM CORPORATE AND NO RESOLUTION. BMW CORPORATE APPEARS TO BE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE US/OWNERS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE

Mileage: 44,430

20150217POWER TRAIN

LOSS OF ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. HAPPENS WHEN YOU ACCELERATE QUICKLY SPECIALLY WHILE CHANGING THE LANE. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GOES DARK, THEN I NEED TO PULL OVER SHUT THE CAR AND RESTART. WHEN THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED IT, BASED ON THE DTC CODE, HE FIRST RECOMMENDED CHANGING THE BATTERY, WHICH I DID. THE PROBLEM REMAINED THE SAME, AND BASED ON THE DTC CODE CHANGED THE ALTERNATOR. AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. BMW REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR, THEY SAY THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN DUE TO THE AGE OF THE CAR. I DON'T EXPECT THAT A BMW TRANSMISSION SHOULD GO BAD UNDER 73K MILES, EVEN IF THE CAR IS 10+ YEARS OLD. THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN DRIVEN IN SNOW/ICE, STAYS IN GARAGE FROM OCT - APRIL. IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT BMW REFUSES TO ASSIST WITH. HAVE BEEN READING VARIOUS FORUMS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVING THIS ISSUE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILSAFE MESSAGE COMES. I WOULD LIKE BMW TO STEP UP AND TAKE THE OWNERSHIP OF GETTING THIS ISSUE FIXED. *TR

Mileage: 73,900

20150205AIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 745I. AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT BOTH SEAT MAT SENSORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

Mileage: 65,000

20141219ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I HAVE DRIVEN 2004 BMW 745I FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS. IT HAS 44000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. RECENTLY, IT STOPS WHILE DRIVING. EACH TIME IT STOPS, THE GEAR IS SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL. WHEN I TRIED TO START ENGINE, IT WON'T START. AFTER USING CELL PHONE TO REQUEST FOR HELP, THE ENGINE STARTS. IT HAPPENED MORE THAN FIVE TIMES. *TR

Mileage: 44,000

20141219ENGINE

I HAVE DRIVEN 2004 BMW 745I FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS. IT HAS 44000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. RECENTLY, IT STOPS WHILE DRIVING. EACH TIME IT STOPS, THE GEAR IS SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL. WHEN I TRIED TO START ENGINE, IT WON'T START. AFTER USING CELL PHONE TO REQUEST FOR HELP, THE ENGINE STARTS. IT HAPPENED MORE THAN FIVE TIMES. *TR

Mileage: 44,000

20141219POWER TRAIN

I HAVE DRIVEN 2004 BMW 745I FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS. IT HAS 44000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. RECENTLY, IT STOPS WHILE DRIVING. EACH TIME IT STOPS, THE GEAR IS SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL. WHEN I TRIED TO START ENGINE, IT WON'T START. AFTER USING CELL PHONE TO REQUEST FOR HELP, THE ENGINE STARTS. IT HAPPENED MORE THAN FIVE TIMES. *TR

Mileage: 44,000

20140417UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I AM A MECHANIC. I HAVE 2CARS DOING THE SAME THING. ONE IS MY OWN CAR.WHEN THIS CAR GETS HOT IF THE TRANSMISSION IS IN PARK AND YOU REV IT UP THE CAR WILL GO TO NEUTRAL AND WANT TO GO FORWARD. BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT. NO ONE SEEMS TO HAVE HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM AND I HAVE TWO CARS DOING THIS. IT IS DANGEROUS SINCE IT DOESN'T HOLD PARK UNLESS YOU SHUT THE CAR OFF. I AM A MEMBER OF ATRA AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG EITHER. *TT

Mileage: 70,000

20140324ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 7451. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO REPLACED THE BATTERY AND THE ALTERNATOR HOWEVER THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 04V344000 (ENGINE) AND 03V240000 (POWER TRAIN). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

Mileage: 117,000

20140324POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 7451. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO REPLACED THE BATTERY AND THE ALTERNATOR HOWEVER THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 04V344000 (ENGINE) AND 03V240000 (POWER TRAIN). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

Mileage: 117,000

20140127ENGINE

I HAVE A 2004 BMW 745I, I NOTICED A LOT OF SMOKE COMING FROM TAIL PIPE WHEN THE CAR IS IDLING/DRIVING. I TOOK IT IN FOR A DIAGNOSTIC AT A REPLICABLE REPAIR SHOP, AND I WAS TOLD THE VALVE GUIDE SEAL'S WHERE WORN AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE VALVE GUIDE SEALS BECOMES HARD OVER TIME AND DOESN'T PROVIDE A PROPER SEAL FOR THE VALVE STEM'S. THIS ALLOWS OIL TO PASS THROUGH THE VALVE STEM SEALS AND ENTER THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND THE EXHAUST.( NOT ONLY DOES THIS CAUSE POLLUTION) IT DAMAGES THE CAT CONVERTER THEREFORE YOU CAN NOT PASS A SMOG TEST. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE BY BMW, BMW REPAIR SHOPS, AND CERTIFIED MECHANIC ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. I CONTACTED BMW CORPORATE OFFICE REGARDING THE PROBLEM, I WAS THEN CONTACTED BACK BY [XXX] WITH BMW EXECUTIVE CUSTOMER CARE. I WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO TAKE MY CAR TO BMW OF ONTARIO TO GET A DIAGNOSTIC, BECAUSE THEY DON'T EXCEPT THIRD PARTY OPINIONS. BMW OF ONTARIO CONTACT ME TO TELL ME IT WILL BE $6,500.00 BECAUSE THEY NEED TO REMOVE

Mileage: 136,000

20140121POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

MY VEHICLE IS DISPLAYING THE EXACT SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED IN YOUR PREVIOUS RECALLS (04V344000 AND 03V240000). THE CAR STALLS AND WON'T RESTART, CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS GO CRAZY, TRANSMISSION FAILSAFE AND STABILITY CONTROL WARNINGS COME ON, VALVETRONIC DESYNCHRONIZATION, ECT. WENT TO A BMW DEALER AND THEY DENIED EITHER OF THESE RECALLS EXISTED. CALLED BMW CORPORATE AND THEY SAID MY CAR IS NOT AFFECTED BY THE RECALLS, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY NOT TRUE CONSIDERING THE PROBLEMS IT HAS AND THE UNCANNY RESEMBLANCE TO YOUR RECALL DESCRIPTIONS. BMW HAS OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE, CAN YOU? *TR

Mileage: 84,230

20140121ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

MY VEHICLE IS DISPLAYING THE EXACT SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED IN YOUR PREVIOUS RECALLS (04V344000 AND 03V240000). THE CAR STALLS AND WON'T RESTART, CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS GO CRAZY, TRANSMISSION FAILSAFE AND STABILITY CONTROL WARNINGS COME ON, VALVETRONIC DESYNCHRONIZATION, ECT. WENT TO A BMW DEALER AND THEY DENIED EITHER OF THESE RECALLS EXISTED. CALLED BMW CORPORATE AND THEY SAID MY CAR IS NOT AFFECTED BY THE RECALLS, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY NOT TRUE CONSIDERING THE PROBLEMS IT HAS AND THE UNCANNY RESEMBLANCE TO YOUR RECALL DESCRIPTIONS. BMW HAS OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE, CAN YOU? *TR

Mileage: 84,230

Compare 2004BMW745I to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2004 BMW 745I have?
The 2004 BMW 745I has 41 NHTSA complaints, 7 crashes, 5 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2004 BMW 745I?
The most-complained component for the 2004 BMW 745I is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 9 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN and ENGINE.
Is the 2004 BMW 745I safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.