2004 BMW 545I electrical system problems
12 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the electrical system on the 2004 BMW 545I — 28% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Electrical wiring in headlights are disintegrating. The shielding is dry rotting and flaking off nearly every wire in both headlights causing them to malfunction during driving. Lights will cut off randomly. I'd imagine the wires are shorting out.”
filed Nov 28, 2019
“Bare wires inside the headlight housing, these are hid lights made by hella for bmw they are oem. When contacting bmwna they say that's not how they make there lights and blame heat and the car not being maintained at a bmw dealership, well the rest of the wiring on the car is just fine even the…”
filed Feb 7, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information…
B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 11, 2024Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle. Depending on the vehicleâ  s equipment and settings, no acoustic or optical confirmation (folding the…
B653423 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 22, 2023
Electrical System problems in other 545I years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 545I | 14 | 18% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2004 BMW 545I
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.