KnownCarProblems2004 BMW 3 Series Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 77 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 BMW 3 Series, most often about the lights (55% of complaints, typically around 89,000 miles). It is 4th of 14 3 Series model years by number of complaints.
Most common 2004 BMW 3 Series problems
Lights
42 complaints · 55%Half of these problems showed up before 89,000 miles. Parts named most often: headlights, tail lights.
BMW tail light ground is inadequate for applicable current load. Hundreds if not thousands of BMW owners have reported this situation, where the brown ground wire connected to the male pin of the tail light module becomes oxidized, eventually causing a short, melting of the connector plug, and causing brake and turn…
Headlight output began to dim. Replaced bulb and had clear lens cover cleaned. This did not help. Car is now unsafe to drive at night. Dealership discovered that the heat from the bulb has melted and discolored the reflector for the headlight. Online internet search indicates this is a chronic safety problem with this…
Air bags
15 complaints · 20%No in passenger seat when starting the car and the passenger air bag lamp was illuminated on dashboard. Turned car off and then back on and the light was off. Went about 15 feet and the light came back on. Turns on and off with or without anyone in the seat. BMW representative stated recall id# 81074 did not relate to…
I drove my car over a very minuscule crack in the road at an extremely low speed as I was making a turn and the passenger side airbag deployed. The car did not have a passenger at the time but the explosion of the airbag simultaneously blocked my view of the right side window while I was making a turn, put me into a…
Electrical
12 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 94,000 miles.
I want to report a problem with the ignition coils in the BMW 330xi model made in the year 2004 that results in reduced ignition firing power. The engine runs rough and the "service engine soon" light illuminates. BMW had a recall on ignition coils failure in 2005 and 2006 on some models but this problem now surface…
Module that controls central locking, wipers, and several other parts (the gm5) started to develop a fault. We had problems unlocking doors, locking doors, using windows, and worst of all - the wipers were hit or miss. BMW wanted $750 for the part replacement.
Visibility and wipers
5 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 50,000 miles. Parts named most often: rearview mirrors/devices.
The contact owns a 2004 BMW 3 Series. The contact stated that the monochromatic coating on the rear view mirror was defective. As a result, the self dimming function had become inoperable and the reflection of the lights from other vehicles was extremely bright. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that it…
As reported by other owners, the bi-xenon headlights no longer light up the road. It is a safety hazard and is a known issue with headlights manufactured by zkw on 2003-2005 BMW 330 models. The reflector bowls on these units burn out over time and reduce the headlights ability to reflect light. Driving at night is…
Doors and locks
3 complaints · 4%Door un-lock relays in the gm5 module fail over time and eventually result in occupants being unable to get out of the car without extraordinary effort. Problem is worse in warmer months.
The unlock control button on the center console does not unlock the passenger side door and does not unlock the 2 doors in the back. This failure occurs intermittently. When the failure occurs, only the driver can exit the car by using the manual door latch lever. The other passengers are trapped unless they climb out…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2004 BMW 3 Series recalls
NHTSA lists no recalls for this model year.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Rear lamp illumination
Summary
In a letter submitted to the office of defects investigation (odi) dated august25, 2011, bmwindicated that it will conduct a voluntary recall campaign to remedy the subject vehicles.the issue involves the rear lamps in the vehicles body panel.through normal vehicle use over time, the rear lamps ground wiring and associated 8-pin connector can experience an increase of the resistance at the electrical contact points.this can lead to intermittent or permanent loss of the rear lamp functions which include tail, brake, and turn signal operation.the recall consists of modifying the rear lamps in the vehicles body panel by adding a secondary ground connection in parallel to the existing primary gr
Rear lamp illumination
Summary
Odi has received complaints from consumers stating that their tail light assembly is not properly illuminating.the tail light assembly consists of a turn signal lamp, a tail lamp and a brake lamp.the complainants have indicated that the issue is with an 8 pin connector and associated ground wiring.these components are allegedly overheating and melting due to excessive electrical current that runs through the system.bmw issued a technical service bulletin (tsb) sib-630306 on february 2007 to address the condition by adding supplementary ground wiring to the tail lamp assembly.odi is upgrading to an ea to further investigate the issue.
Rear lamp illumination
Summary
In march 2009, the office of defects investigation (odi) received a petition from mr. Mark peters requesting an investigation of rear lamp failure in model year 2002-2005 bmw 3-series vehicles.an information request letter was sent to bmw in april 2009, and odi received bmw's response in june 2009.the tail lamp assembly contains lighting for the brake lamps, tail lamps, and turn signals.a technical service bulletin (tsb) was issued by bmw in january of 2007 instructing service technicians to examine an 8 pin electrical connector for heat-related damage and to incorporate additional ground wiring to the connector.complainants have alleged that significant thermal damage to the connector and a
Questions about the 2004 BMW 3 Series
- What are the most common problems with the 2004 BMW 3 Series?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: lights (42 complaints, typically around 89,000 miles); air bags (15 complaints); electrical (12 complaints, typically around 94,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2004 BMW 3 Series have?
- NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2004 BMW 3 Series. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls in case one is issued later.
- Is the 2004 a bad year for the BMW 3 Series?
- It is 4th of 14 3 Series model years by number of complaints, with 77 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.