Most common 2004 BMW 545i problems
Share of the 44 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
BMW 545i complaints by model year
What 2004 BMW 545i owners say
Air bags
Low speed crash in febuary 2015 airbag malfunction light came on but didn't deploy. This item had been replaced due to recall in 2011 and BMW said I had to pay for seat mat that malfunctioned and to be put in. No passenger in car during impact I was alone. I don't feel that this should be my problem or that I should have to pay for said problem. I believe this is a faulty part and should be covered by BMW and recall didn't fix problem.
I came back from my summer holiday, and restarted my car. A lot of warnings appears on the odometer. About engine, airbags, steering, tire pressure, and seat belt. (I have checked the tire pressure, it is normal. And I always lock the seat belt before driving). In addition, the navigation screen and radio died. Furthermore, the car lose electricity after it shuts down. After more than 3 hours of shut down, it won't have enough power to re-ignite. I check on NHTSA website that there are three recall issues that my car was included, and related to the issues I am reporting right now. About air bags (08V384000), engine (12e029000), and electrical system (12V126000). But I cannot find out any information by my VIN number on NHTSA. It is a used car, I am not sure whether the former user responded the recall before. …
Engine & cooling
I came back from my summer holiday, and restarted my car. A lot of warnings appears on the odometer. About engine, airbags, steering, tire pressure, and seat belt. (I have checked the tire pressure, it is normal. And I always lock the seat belt before driving). In addition, the navigation screen and radio died. Furthermore, the car lose electricity after it shuts down. After more than 3 hours of shut down, it won't have enough power to re-ignite. I check on NHTSA website that there are three recall issues that my car was included, and related to the issues I am reporting right now. About air bags (08V384000), engine (12e029000), and electrical system (12V126000). But I cannot find out any information by my VIN number on NHTSA. It is a used car, I am not sure whether the former user responded the recall before. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 BMW 545i. While driving 65 MPH, the vehicle overheated. The contact stated stated that the pump cool pipe was making the vehicle overheat. The contact stated that the vehicle was diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Electrical system
Bare wires inside the headlight housing, these are HID lights made by hella for BMW they are OEM. When contacting bmwna they say that's not how they make there lights and blame heat and the car not being maintained at a BMW dealership, well the rest of the wiring on the car is just fine even the wires that come in contact with a high heat producing engine... It's the same exact issue Mercedes Benz had on the w202 chassis, wires that would degrade at an extremely fast rate. But for headlights that cost well over $1000 each. But my question is what happens when a family is out at night and there headlights malfunction because of something BMW knows about but refuse to take responsibility and said family has a wreck and kills multiple people because of a known problem. …
Passenger side headlight assembly wire "jacket" is brittle and flaking off, causing malfunctions in parking lamp "halo" due to exposed copper wires. Also, high-beam halogen light wiring has exposed copper wiring. Wires get hot to the touch and cause a "passenger parking lamp malfunction" to appear inside the car. Problem seems like it is a fire hazard to say the least. Many online forum members have expressed the same issue. I attempted to contact both the headlight assembly manufacturer, hella, as well as the car manufacturer, BMW of north America; both companies did not take responsibility. Problem expands over many models for several years. Please investigate. I have even heard of headlamps catching fire, causing substantial damage to the vehicle. …
2004 BMW 545i engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.4L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
| 4.4L 8-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 15 / 23 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 BMW 545i a good car?
There isn't enough complaint history for the 545i to compare model years reliably. So far owners have filed 44 complaints with NHTSA.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 BMW 545i?
The air bags — 18 complaints, 41% of all complaints for this model year, most often about sensor › occupant classification. Next are the engine & cooling (12) and electrical system (12).
How many recalls does the 2004 BMW 545i have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2004 BMW 545i. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
At what mileage do 2004 BMW 545i problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 102,000 miles; 5% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.