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NHTSA vehicle safety data

2004 BMW E46 Recalls & Complaints

The 2004 BMW E46 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 4 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized BMW dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2004 BMW E46. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

2004 BMW E46 owner complaints

Owners have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 BMW E46, describing incidents dated December 1, 2008 to November 18, 2015.

Most-cited components

  • Exterior Lighting 2 complaints
  • Air Bags 1 complaint
  • Electrical System 1 complaint
  • Visibility/Wiper 1 complaint

Newest complaints

  • ODI #10873665 · Filed

    AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHEN HITTING POT HOLE AT AROUND 30MPH. THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH MANY E46'S THAT THE AIRBAG IS TOO SENSITIVE.

  • ODI #10460106 · Filed

    BONJOUR, LES RFLECTEURS ZKW DE MES FEUX XNON SONT BRULS. MES FEUX N'CLAIRENT PLUS. *TR

  • ODI #10448204 · Filed

    FACTORY BI-XENON HEADLIGHTS GRADUALLY DIMMED. BY 77K MILES THE LIGHT OUTPUT WAS TOO DIM TO SAFELY DRIVE AT NIGHT. COMPARED TO A NEW MODEL AT DEALER WITH XENON LIGHTS AND FOUND VERY NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE. MECHANIC ANALYSIS FOUND METALLIZED PLASTIC REFLECTORS ON XENON BULBS HAD BURNED AND LOST THEIR…

Read all 4 complaints

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2004 BMW E46 in 2 investigations. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

Open and recently closed NHTSA defect investigations

FMVSS 108/REPLACEMENT HEADLAMPS/AMBER REFLECTOR

NHTSA #09E025000 · Exterior Lighting — Headlights · NHTSA notice

Reported May 11, 2009 · DOPE, INC.

Potentially affected: 42,540 vehicles

Owners notified July 28, 2009

Defect description

DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

Safety consequence

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Manufacturer remedy

DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.

Notes

THIS RECALL ONLY PERTAINS TO AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT AND HAS NO RELATION TO ANY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT INSTALLED ON VEHICLES PRODUCED BY THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER.IN ORDER TO DETERMINE IF YOUR AFTERMARKET LAMP ASSEMBLY IS AFFECTED BY THIS NONCOMPLIANCE, PLEASE REVIEW THE LIST OF MODEL NUMBERS PROVIDED TO US BY DOPE, INC.THE LIST CAN BE FOUND UNDER "DOCUMENT SEARCH" LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN. OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV>HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV</A> .

Other BMW E46 model years

Check your 2004 BMW E46 VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your BMW E46 at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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