Most common 2005 BMW 745i problems
Share of the 16 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
BMW 745i complaints by model year
Best 745i years: 2005, 2004. Years to avoid: 2002, 2003. Compare all years →
2005 BMW 745i recalls (3)
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2005-2008 745i, 745Li, 750i, 750Li, 760i, 760Li, and B7 Alpina vehicles equipped with both the Comfort Access and Soft Close Automatic options. In these vehicles, the doors may appear to be closed and latched, but, in fact, may inadvertently open.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the door latch system, free of charge. The recall began February 8, 2018. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
BMW is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 7-Series vehicles, equipped with both Comfort Access and Soft Close Automatic options, and manufactured August 23, 2004, through September 3, 2007. Due to a software problem, the doors may appear to be closed and latched, but, in fact, may inadvertently open.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners and dealers will update software. The recall began on December 12, 2012. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
BMW is recalling certain model year 2005-2008 7-Series vehicles, equipped with the Comfort Access option, and manufactured August 23, 2004, through July 24, 2008. The affected vehicles have an electronic key and an electronic connection between the gear shifter and the transmission (shift-by-wire) that automatically shifts the…
Remedy: BMW will notify owners beginning in November 2012. The remedy became available in March 2013. Owners may call BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2005 BMW 745i:
Vehicle Rollaway
In response to the Office of Defects Investigation's (ODI) Information Request (IR) for PE11-025, BMW provided ODI with 1 complaint and 46 field reports relating to either incidents of unattended vehicle rollaway or vehicle movement after the driver expected the vehicle gearshift to automatically shift to park. ODI's analysis of the data provided by BMW identified 14 crashes and 5 alleged injuries.
BMW airbag light illumination
In certain my 2005 through my 2006 BMW vehicles, the occupant classification system (ocs) for the passenger frontal airbag May malfunction and render the passenger airbag inoperative.in June 2006, BMW issued a technical service bulletin (si b 72 02 06) regarding the illumination of the airbag warning light and the passenger airbag status lamp.illumination of these lights warn that an open electrical circuit May be…
Vehicle Rollaway
In a letter dated October 16, 2012, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR), NHTSA Recall No. 12V-502 to NHTSA 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…
BMW airbag light illumination
BMW is conducting a safety recall campaign on approximately 200,000 my04 through my06 subject vehicles built through 11/30/05 to correct the front passenger seat air bag occupant detection mat. The specific vehicles included in the recall aremy04- 06/ 5-series with standard and sport seats, my04-06/ x3-series and my06/ 3-series with sport seats.
What 2005 BMW 745i owners say
Electrical system
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 BMW 745i. The contact stated that all the door locks failed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and it was determined that the software needed to be updated. The contact found NHTSA campaign number: 12V504000 (latches, locks and linkages); however, the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included and would not be repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. Updated 7/10/15 updated 10/11/2017
I have been having several electrical issues on my 2005 745i the issues I am having are all electrical and brakes, drivers side window not initiated, license plate lamp not initiated, trunk button not working on dash panel or key fob or button on trunk lid, parking brake malfunctioning and caused the rotors and brake pads to warp when the parking brake come on suddenly while I was moving from a spot I was parked at,
Air bags
Car is a 2005 BMW 745i. Driver's side occupant sensor (in seat) has cracked and is causing airbag light to illuminate and as I understand is disabling the driver's side airbag. There is already a recall on the car for the passenger-side sensor cracking, which is a very similar part. Dealership and BMW USA is refusing to assist me, I believe that due to the similarities in nature to the passenger-side seat sensor recall, the drivers-side seat sensor needs to be looked into as well for obvious safety reasons.
My car was due for state inspection and I took it into richmond BMW in midlothian va. The technician called and said the airbag light was on and the sensor is bad. There is an airbag recall for the other BMW series but it didn't include the seven series. There are other 7 series owners experiencing the same thing. I read this on the BMW forums and it is a lot of BMW owners spending money for something that should be recalled as well. Can you please consider our cars as well.
Locks & latches
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 BMW 745i. The contact stated that the front driver and passenger side doors opened independently. The failures occurred without warning. The contact stated that the failure also occurred in the rear doors while his daughter was in the rear seat. There were no injuries. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17V328000(latches/locks/linkages); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The sterling BMW dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts would be available. The failure mileage was approximately 172,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 BMW 745i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17V328000 (latches/locks/linkages); however, the part for the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. While driving approximately 70 MPH, the front driver's door suddenly unlocked without warning. The contact was able to lock the door a second time. The contact took the vehicle to BMW of mountain view (150 e el camino real, mountain view, ca 94040; [phone]). The vehicle remained at the dealer for approximately four months and was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The matter had not been settled. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
2005 BMW 745i engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.4L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 BMW 745i a good car?
Based on 16 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 745i rates average: 37% fewer complaints than a typical year of the 745i at the same age. It is one of the best 745i years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 BMW 745i?
The electrical system — 4 complaints, 25% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the air bags (3) and locks & latches (3).
How many recalls does the 2005 BMW 745i have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2005 BMW 745i, the most recent from May 18, 2017 (latch). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the BMW 745i?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2005 and 2004. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2002 and 2003. See the full BMW 745i years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 BMW 745i problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 110,000 miles; 8% 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.