2004 BMW 745I Recalls & Complaints

Incident: March 28, 2022 · Filed: September 8, 2022

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.

Incident: July 11, 2020 · Filed: July 23, 2020

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

Incident: March 17, 2016 · Filed: December 6, 2016

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

Incident: August 12, 2014 · Filed: December 22, 2015

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.

Incident: July 15, 2015 · Filed: August 6, 2015

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.

Incident: December 15, 2014 · Filed: February 17, 2015

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

Incident: February 5, 2014 · Filed: February 5, 2015

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.

Incident: December 5, 2014 · Filed: December 19, 2014

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

Incident: April 17, 2014 · Filed: April 17, 2014

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

Incident: March 17, 2014 · Filed: March 24, 2014

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.