2003 BMW 745I problems & reliability
32 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 BMW 745I, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2003 BMW 745I vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 9 | 28% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 13% |
| Engine | 4 | 13% |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 9% |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 9% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 9% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 6% |
| Equipment | 2 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 19 reported components →Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 26 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 74,000 miles (middle 50% between 26,500 and 99,500 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2003 BMW 745i. The contact stated while pulling into the garage and depressing the brake pedal, the engine revved up loudly. The contact stated that upon releasing the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly, crashed into a refrigerator and pushed the refrigerator into the wall. The air…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Aug 14, 2023
“The car smokes from exhaust system when you pull off from red light, driveways, or whenever you excel in the car. I was told its a engine valve problem that bmw is aware of in the 7 series. This car cost to much for issues like you are a vapor from beyond when driving. Also why is it a problem with sensor on passenger…”
Engine · filed Nov 3, 2018
“Tl* the contact owns a 2003 bmw 745i. While driving 70 mph, the fan belt fractured and an unknown warning indicator illuminated, which meant that the vehicle was overheating. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. A week later, the hood was opened and smoke was seen coming from the computer panel as a fire…”
Electrical System · filed Aug 13, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Vehicle Rollaway
Engineering Analysis EA12002 · opened Apr 10, 2012 · closed Jan 24, 2013 · led to recall 12V502000
- Vehicle Rollaway
Preliminary Evaluation PE11025 · opened Aug 5, 2011 · closed Apr 23, 2012
Technical service bulletins
24 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 BMW 745I. The 10 most recent:
The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
B510819 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2024
Engine will crank but not start. There is no communication with the integrated fuel module (TFE) whendiagnosing with ISTA. The following two fault codes will be stored in the DME: 032B43 - Low fuel pressure system…
B160623 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 20, 2023
Customers 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
Vehicle cannot be opened or closed using comfort access, engine start is not possible, and the vehicle may not start when placing the key against the steering column.
B662419 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2022
NAVIGATION SYSTEM: REPORTING MISSING OR INCORRECT ROAD MAP DATA: The route guidance is inaccurate and therefore irritating to the customer; or it is not possible to locate certain addresses, for instance:
B650709 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2018
NAVIGATION SYSTEM: REPORTING MISSING OR INCORRECT ROAD MAP DATA: The route guidance is inaccurate and therefore irritating to the customer; or it is not possible to locate certain addresses, for instance:
B650709 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2018
Diagnosing Stored Fault Codes to Help Avoid Repeat Repair Visits This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B07 03 14 dated October 2015.. Fault codes stored in vehicles being serviced are not being diagnosed…
B070314 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2016
SUBJECT Audio System Speaker Testing. For audio system speaker testing there is a NED (Non Electrical Diagnosis) Test Plan available. CAUSE We previously recommended use of the Audio Test CD (ATC) from BMW. This CD has…
B650216 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2016
This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B07 03 14 dated October 2015. Diagnosing Stored Fault Codes to Help Avoid Repeat Repair Visits. Fault codes stored in vehicles being serviced are not being diagnosed…
B070314 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2016
This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B07 03 14 dated May 2015. designates changes to this revision SUBJECT Diagnosing Stored Fault Codes to Help Avoid Repeat Repair Visits. Fault codes stored in vehicles…
B070314 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2015
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2003 BMW 745I has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2003 BMW 745I?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 74,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.