2003 BMW 745LI problems & reliability
50 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 BMW 745LI, 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 745LI vehicles were involved in 3 fatal crashes 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags → | 11 | 22% |
| Power Train | 8 | 16% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 14% |
| Service Brakes | 6 | 12% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 10% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 10% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 8% |
| Tires | 4 | 8% |
| Engine | 3 | 6% |
| Equipment | 3 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 23 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 37 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 100,000 miles (middle 50% between 50,000 and 117,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2003 BMW 745LI. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the brake fluid warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed with rotors, brake wear sensors, and brake failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the…”
Service Brakes · filed Jul 20, 2022
“The airbag light and warning never clears when driving the passgners airbag warning light is on , saying bring to nearest bmw dealer ship.”
Air Bags · filed Jul 23, 2019
“Tl* the contact owns a 2003 bmw 745li. After placing the vehicle in park, the contact noticed that the gear shifted independently into neutral. The contact called bmw of sterling located in sterling, virginia and was informed that he had to pay for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the…”
Power Train · filed Oct 3, 2017
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
22 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 BMW 745LI. 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
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
Diagnosing Stored Fault Codes to Help Avoid Repeat Repair Visits. Analysis of FASTA data and repeat repair visit reports indicates that there are many fault codes that are stored in the above vehicles, but they are not…
B070314 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 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 745LI 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 745LI?
- · 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 100,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.