Model year record

2003 BMW 745I

2 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 47 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 03V324000

Engine and engine cooling

Component
Engine and engine cooling
Manufacturer
BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE
Vehicles affected
2,400
Reported to NHTSA
2003-08-26
Owners notified
2003-09-12

Defect description

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE ENGINE OIL FILTER DRAIN PLUG MAY BE INSUFFICIENTLY TIGHTENED. THIS COULD LEAD TO LOOSENING OF THE PLUG CAUSING AN INITIAL OIL SPRAY AND A SUBSEQUENT OIL LEAK.

Safety risk

IF A LARGE AMOUNT OF OIL LOSS OCCURS, ENGINE DAMAGE MAY RESULT. DEPENDING ON THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE, A CRASH COULD OCCUR.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TORQUE OF THE OIL FILTER DRAIN PLUG AND, IF NECESSARY, RETIGHTEN THE DRAIN PLUG WITH THE CORRECTLY SPECIFIED TORQUE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.

Recall campaignNHTSA 03V240000

Engine and engine cooling

Component
Engine and engine cooling
Manufacturer
BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE
Vehicles affected
5,470
Reported to NHTSA
2003-07-01
Owners notified
2003-07-08

Defect description

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, DUE TO A SOFTWARE ERROR, A DESYNCHRONIZATION OF THE VALVETRONIC MOTORS FOR ENGINE BANKS I AND II MAY OCCUR. IF THIS OCCURS, THE ENGINE COULD STALL.

Safety risk

IN THOSE CASES, THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF ENGINE ROUGHNESS, OR STALLING, AS WELL AS TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AND THE DRIVER'S REACTIONS, THIS COULD LEAD TO A CRASH.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE DIGITAL ENGINE MANAGEMENT CONTROL UNIT. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JULY 8, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Power train: automatic transmission58,900 mi
Air bags495,000 mi
Engine476,000 mi
Power train440,000 mi
Seat belts395,000 mi
Service brakes398,000 mi
Electrical system295,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic247,000 mi
Unknown or other240,000 mi
Electrical system: 12V/24V/48V battery1130,000 mi
Electrical system: software172,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling186,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system11,000 mi
Equipment1
Equipment: electrical: navigational system(global positioning system)1
Equipment: electrical: radio/tape deck/CD etc.1
Exterior lighting145,000 mi
Interior lighting1
Latches/locks/linkages145,000 mi
Seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler110,844 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components1
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliper1
Steering: column1
Structure: body: bumpers1
Vehicle speed control122,000 mi
Visibility: power window devices and controls1
Wheels1

The 2002 model has about half as many complaints as this one. The 2004 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.