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.
The worst 2004 BMW 745I problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Transmission11
- Electrical9
- Engine7
- Brakes4
- Airbags2
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Transmission11
- Electrical9
- Engine7
- Brakes4
- Airbags2
- Driver assistance1
- Lights1
- Seats1
- Steering1
- Wheels1
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Defect investigations
Vehicle Rollaway
In a letter dated October 16, 2012, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR), the federal safety agency Recall No. 12V‑502 to the federal safety agency identifying a safety defect involving the possibility of unattended vehicle rollaway in MY 2005 through 2008 BMW 7-Series (approximately 45,000) vehicles equipped with the Comfort Access Option.The Comfort Access option allows the driver to start and stop the engine (by pressing the engine start / stop button) without inserting the key fob into the vehicles key slot in the instrument panel.Subject vehicles not equipped with the Comfort Access option require the key fob be inserted the key slot to start the engine.Upon removal of the key from the key slot the vehicle will automatically shift to Park if the driver has not done so using the gearshift lever.Sunject vehicles equipped with the Comfort Access option are designed such that when the vehicle is stopped with the service brakes applied and the transmission in Drive or Reverse, the driver can push the engine start/stop button one time, stopping the engine and automatically shifting the transmission to Park.In its DIR, BMW identified a condition such that if the driver depressed the start-stop button multiple times in rapid succession, the transmission could shift to Neutral instead of Park.With the transmission in neutral, depending on the slope of the road, the vehicle could rollaway if unattended.In review of data submitted to the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) and of reports submitted to BMW, ODI identified 20 reports alleging vehicle rollaway involving vehicles equipped with Comfort Access.The vehicles identified in these reports are all subject to recall 12V‑502.Ten of these reports were identified as likely related to the defect described in recall 12V‑502.Two of the reports are likely related to other mechanical failures.The remaining 8 allegations of vehicle rollaway could not be associated with a specific cause.There are 32 reports alleging vehicle rollaway in the subject vehicles not equipped with the Comfort Access option.A vehicle based safety defect trend was not identified in these reports.Subject vehicles not equipped the Comfort Access option will automatically shift to Park once the key fob is removed from the key slot.In this regard these vehicles behave similarly to those with traditional mechanical keys where the key cannot be removed from the ignition unless the vehicle is shifted to Park.The difference between these vehicles and the subject vehicles with the Comfort Access option is that in the Comfort Access equipped vehicles, the engine can be started and stopped without the key fob in the key slot.ODI reports 10429922 and 10419177 noted in the EA opening resume were determined to be vehicles not equipped with the Comfort Access option and ODI did not identify a vehicle based safety defect associated with these incidents.This investigation is closed.The ODI report cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.the federal safety agency.dot.gov/owners/Searchreference under the following identification (ODI) numbers:10185770
EA12002
Technical service bulletins for the 2004 BMW 745I 22
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
- The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few...
- Engine will crank but not start
- Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle
- Vehicle cannot be opened or closed using comfort access, engine start is not possible, and the vehicle may...
- Discharged Battery Energy Diagnosis Must Be Performed: The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been...
- Navigation system: reporting missing or incorrect road map data
- Diagnosing Stored Fault Codes to Help Avoid Repeat Repair Visits This Service Information bulletin...
- This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B07 03 14 dated October 2015
- Subject
2004 BMW 745I fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.4L 8‑cyl | RWD | 16 | 24 | 19 |
What 2004 BMW 745I owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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
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.
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.
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 costs. It has been 22 days since the incident and despite multiple calls, emails and communications, nothing has been done to address the faulty heating mechanism. Please advise what can be done to get attention to this matter. By the grace of god my wife was not driving and I was able to get across the freeway safely before any harm or damage was done. We don't want others to suffer any consequences because of further delays and lack of attention to this critical safety issue.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 the federal safety agency campaign number 04v344000 (engine) and 03v240000 (power train). The approximate failure and current mileage was 117,000.
Compare the 2004 BMW 745I
Other model years
Questions about the 2004 BMW 745I
Is the 2004 BMW 745I reliable?
Owners have filed 24 complaints about the 2004 BMW 745I, close to a typical 745I model year.
What is the 2004 BMW 745I year score?
The 2004 BMW 745I scores 70 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the BMW 745I: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 BMW 745I?
Transmission and drivetrain, with 11 complaints, typically around 94,000 miles. Next is electrical (9).
How many recalls does the 2004 BMW 745I have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the BMW 745I have bad transmission?
The BMW 745I model years with the most transmission complaints are 2002 (17 complaints) and 2004 (11 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2004 BMW 745I get?
Official estimates for the 2004 BMW 745I range from 19 mpg combined. The most efficient version (4.4L 8-cyl, RWD) gets 16 city and 24 highway.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2004 BMW 745I?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history