KnownCarProblems2004 BMW 325xi Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 55 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 BMW 325xi, most often about the air bags (55% of complaints, typically around 95,000 miles). It is the 3rd most complained-about 325xi model year since 2000 and has 4 recalls.
⚠ Safety advisory3 recalls for this car came with a do-not-drive warning. See below and check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Most common 2004 BMW 325xi problems
Air bags
30 complaints · 55%Half of these problems showed up before 95,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal.
Three recalls. Front drivers air bag, front passenger airbag, both rear quarter panel lamps carrier connector wires heated and melted. Contacted BMW of kingsport several times for assistance. Said would help but has not. Need schematic of rear taillight assemblies and repair of airbags.
The contact owned a 2004 BMW 325xi. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle was struck by another vehicle on the passengerâs side causing the passengerâs side mirror to detach from the vehicle. The contact loss control of the vehicle and crashed into the median. The vehicle rolled and then came to a…
Lights
9 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 60,000 miles. Parts named most often: hazard flashing warning lights, tail lights.
Unreliable taillight/brakelight/turn signal functioning in 2004 BMW 325xi. Problem began in early 2008. Lighting indicators kept coming on suggesting taillights were out. Replaced all applicable bulbs several times over the past year then finally brought to dealer. They said that they have seen many of these instances…
The contact owns a 2004 BMW 325xi. The wire that plugs into the driver side rear tail light harness burned which makes it impossible for the driver to alert others of his intentions regarding direction of travel and speed. Technical service bulletin # 10020856(exterior lighting:tail lights) summarizes the failure. The…
Transmission
7 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 7,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
The contact owns a 2004 BMW 325xi. The contact stated the vehicle would not shift into drive in cold temperatures. When she was able to shift into drive and depress the accelerator pedal, there was a momentary delay and the vehicle would abnormally jerk forward before accelerating. The dealer advised that the failure…
A year ago, I brought my 2004 BMW 325 xi in for routine maintenance. When I picked the car up, the BMW shop explained that they found premature failure of the cv outer axle boots. Both boots were split and leaking grease, and the axles were turning dry.. They replaced both boots under warranty. In december 2010, car…
Engine
5 complaints · 9%Parts named most often: engine.
While driving in normal rush hour traffic my wife heard a loud pop from the engine compartment. The car lost power, brakes. She started to coast to the side of the road when other commuters started to yell at here to get out of the vehicle, at that time the cabin started to fill up with smoke. She tried to lower the…
Electrical
5 complaints · 9%Parts named most often: wiring.
This is a formal petition for a safety defect investigation. My 2004 BMW 325xi has a left tail light that does not work because of a poor connection at the rear lamp connector (the ground wire receptacle and housing have burnt out because the ground is not strong enough for the current). My right tail light still…
The contact owns a 2004 BMW 325xi. The wire that plugs into the driver side rear tail light harness burned which makes it impossible for the driver to alert others of his intentions regarding direction of travel and speed. Technical service bulletin # 10020856(exterior lighting:tail lights) summarizes the failure. The…
Doors and locks
3 complaints · 6%E46 BMW 2004 325xi and 2000 323i both have issues unlocking doors when weather is above 50 degrees. Vehicle wont let you unlock doors from inside and manual unlock is only for drivers door and must do so through window. If there were an accident in the car I don't know how I would have escaped in a reasonable amount…
2004 BMW 325xi electronic door locks fail to unlock intermittently whether I am outside the car or inside the car. The key fob will intermittently not unlock the doors. The internal mechanisms will not unlock the door including the door handles themselves once the lock is engaged. The failure is an electronic issue…
Other or unspecified
3 complaints · 6%
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 325xi recalls
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Bmw will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger's front air bag, free of charge. The recall began february 13, 2020. Owners may contact bmw customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Full defect summary
Bmw of north america, llc (bmw) is recalling certain 2000-2005 323it, 325it, 325xit, 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 330i and 330xi and 2000-2006 323ci, 325ci, 328ci, 330ci, m3 coupe, 323cic, 325cic, 330cic, and m3 convertible vehicles equipped with non-desiccated frontal takata psan inflators and pspi passenger frontal air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (psan) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Air bags
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure could cause rupturing of the inflator resulting in metal fragments striking and potentially seriously injuring the passenger seat occupant or other occupants.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until they have been repaired. Bmw will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side frontal air bag, free of charge. An interim notice was mailed to owners in september 2014. A second notice was mailed when an adequate supply of parts became available, on december 1, 2014. Owners may contact bmw customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or email bmw at [email protected].
Full defect summary
Bmw of north america, llc (bmw) is recalling certain model year 2000 323i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and sports wagons; 2000 328i sedans and coupes; 2001-2005 325i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and sport wagons; 2001-2005 325xi sedans and sports wagons; 2006 325i coupes and convertibles; 2001-2006 330i sedans, coupes, and convertibles; 2001-2005 330xi sedans; and 2001-2006 m3 coupes and convertibles to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag which may produce excessive internal pressure that could cause the air bag inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. Bmw will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began aug 2016. Owners may contact bmw customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: this recall supersedes recall 14v-348 in its entirety. Additionally, vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously as part of a recall remedy need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well. Note: on december 17, 2015 bmw removed the model year 2004 x5 3.0i and 4.4i sports activit
Full defect summary
Bmw of north america, llc (bmw) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i, and 330xi sedans, and 325xi and 325i sportswagons, 2002-2006 330ci, 325ci, and m3 convertibles and 325i, 330i, and m3 coupes, 2002-2003 m5, 540i, 525i sedan, and 530i sedans, and 540i and 525i sportswagons, and 2003 x5 3.0i and 4.4i sports activity vehicles. Please note that the 5-series and x5 vehicles are only included if they are equipped with the optional sports steering wheel. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Lights: turn signal
Risk: Intermittent light operation reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions. This could cause a vehicle crash without warning.
Fix: Bmw will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on february 15, 2012. Owners may contact bmw customer relations and services at 1-800-525-7417.
Full defect summary
Bmw is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i, and 330xi vehicles manufactured from september 1, 2001, through march 1, 2005. Over time, resistance in the electrical contacts may cause one or more rear lamp functions (tail light, brake light, and/or turn-signal), within the vehicle's body panel, to stop working.
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
Air bag inflator rupture
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe14-016 in june 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.all six vehicles were operated in florida or puerto rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag systems.during the course of pe14-016, odi determined that five additional vehicle manufacturers used inflators of a similar design and vintage also supplied by takata. No evidence of field failures was found in vehicles produced by these five additional manufacturers.nonetheless, at odi's in
Air bag inflator rupture
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe14-016 in june 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.all six vehicles were operated in florida or puerto rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag systems.during the course of pe14-016, odi determined that five additional vehicle manufacturers used inflators of a similar design and vintage also supplied by takata. No evidence of field failures was found in vehicles produced by these five additional manufacturers.nonetheless, at odi's in
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
Delayed transmission engagement
Summary
Ms. Claire m. Tieder of reston, va, submitted a defect petition to the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) by letter dated january 11, 2004, requesting a defect investigation be conducted into delayed transmission engagement on model year 2004 bmw xi vehicles.bmw's response to NHTSA's information request indicated that certain bmw 3-series vehicles equipped with the gm5 transmission may exhibited a forward 'park' to 'drive' engagement delay from2 to 30 seconds.however, the condition can occur only during a vehicle cold start, after the vehicle has been at rest for more than eight hours.drivers experiencing the delay have learned to take precautionary and compensatory measu
Questions about the 2004 BMW 325xi
- What are the most common problems with the 2004 BMW 325xi?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: air bags (30 complaints, typically around 95,000 miles); lights (9 complaints, typically around 60,000 miles); transmission (7 complaints, typically around 7,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2004 BMW 325xi have?
- 4 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from January 15, 2020 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2004 a bad year for the BMW 325xi?
- It is the 3rd most complained-about 325xi model year since 2000, with 55 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.