Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2004 BMW 5 Series, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags29
- Seats11
- Electrical system9
- Seat belts7
- Power train6
- Exterior lighting6
- Steering5
- Service brakes, hydraulic3
- Tires3
- Engine and engine cooling2
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 4 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Engines
The most common engines in 2004 BMW 5 Series cars on Dutch roads are the 2.5 petrol (141 kW, 189 hp), 2.2 petrol (125 kW, 168 hp) and 3.0 petrol (170 kW, 228 hp), out of 6 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 petrol | 141 kW 189 hp | 882 |
| 2.2 petrol | 125 kW 168 hp | 474 |
| 3.0 petrol | 170 kW 228 hp | 408 |
| 4.4 petrol | 245 kW 329 hp | 212 |
| 3.0 diesel | 160 kW 215 hp | 143 |
| 2.5 diesel | 130 kW 174 hp | 66 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
2,233 first registered in 2004 are on Dutch roads; 46% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €71,177.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen1,664
- Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect1,184
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde1,078
- Band onvoldoende profiel787
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm565
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld539
- Remslang beschadigd, wapeningsmateriaal zichtbaar435
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm374
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
1,977 cars built in 2004 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 2,484 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 3,710 of these cars first registered in 2004 took their annual MOT test. 64% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2004 the figure was 56%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2004 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 1.3% | 17.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1.3% | 21.8% |
| Brakes | 1.2% | 13.8% |
| Tyres | 0.7% | 6.7% |
| Steering | 0.5% | 4.5% |
| Visibility | 0.5% | 7.7% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
1,051 of these cars first registered in 2004 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 361,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
268 2004 cars are on the New Zealand register; 39% arrived as used imports, 55% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
6 Transport Canada recalls for the 2004 BMW 5 Series.
| 2012109 23 Mar 2012 | Electrical On certain vehicles, the insulated bulkhead connector (used to join the two halves of the positive battery cable) may have been incorrectly installed during veh… |
| 2010328 1 Oct 2010 | Brakes On certain vehicles, a check valve in the brake vacuum pump may leak a small amount of lubricating oil. Over time, this could result in contamination of the br… |
| 2008307 26 Aug 2008 | Seats And Restraints On certain vehicles, the front passenger seat occupant detection mat can fatigue during field usage depending on the seat configuration, vehicle geometry, manne… |
| 2004424 3 Dec 2004 | Seats And Restraints On certain vehicles equipped with heated seats, excessive contact with the seat backrest side bolster upon entering and exiting the vehicle may damage the heati… |
| 2004246 15 Jul 2004 | Other On certain vehicles, the digital engine management control unit was not produced according to specifications. As a result, engine stalling will occur after a s… |
| 2004196 11 Jun 2004 | Fuel System On certain vehicles equipped with an 8-cylinder engine, the circular retention clip at the quick-release coupling along the fuel supply line was inadvertently o… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 5-SERIES, MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 6-SERIES, MODEL YEAR 2006-2010 M5, AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2010 M6 VEHICLES. THE INSULATED BULKHEAD CONNECTOR FOR THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY ATTACHED TO THE TRUNK FLOOR PANEL, WHICH CAN LEAD TO A LOOSENING OF THE BOLT CONNECTION. AS IT LOOSENS, AN INCREASE IN ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE AT THIS CABLE CONNECTION IS POSSIBLE AND COULD CAUSE THE CABLE CONNECTION TO OVERHEAT.
BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 5-SERIES, 6-SERIES, AND MODEL YEAR 2002-2008 7-SERIES VEHICLES. A CHECK VALVE OF THE BRAKE VACUUM PUMP MAY LEAK A SMALL AMOUNT OF LUBRICATING OIL. OVER TIME THIS COULD RESULT IN CONTAMINATION OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER.
BMW IS RECALLING 200,000 MY 2006 3 SERIES SPORT SEAT, MY 2004-2006 5 SERIES STANDARD AND SPORT SEAT, AND MY 2004-2006 X3 PASSENGER VEHICLES. DEPENDING ON THE MANNER AND FREQUENCY OF THE FRONT PASSENGER'S ENTRY AND EXIT, SMALL CRACKS HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE MAT. IF THIS OCCURS, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE HEAD PROTECTION SYSTEM, WILL BE DEACTIVATED AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP AS WELL AS THE PASSENGER AIR BAG "ON-OFF" LAMP WILL BE ILLUMINATED.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FRONT SEAT HEATING SYSTEMS, UPON ENTERING AND EXITING THE VEHICLE, EXCESSIVE CONTACT WITH THE SIDE BOLSTER THAT IS CONTAINED IN THE SEAT'S BACKREST MAY DAMAGE THE HEATING MAT LOCATED IN THIS AREA. IF SUCH DAMAGE WERE TO OCCUR, WITH THE SYSTEM TURNED ON, THE VEHICLE OCCUPANT MAY FEEL EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM THIS AREA.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 8 AND 12 CYLINDER ENGINES, THE DIGITAL ENGINE MANAGEMENT CONTROL (EMC) UNITS WERE NOT PRODUCED ACCORDING TO SPECIFICATIONS.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 8-CYLINDER ENGINES, A CIRCULAR RETENTION CLIP AT THE QUICK-RELEASE COUPLING ALONG THE FUEL SUPPLY LINE WAS INADVERTENTLY NOT INSTALLED.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What BMW told its dealers about the 2004 BMW 5 Series: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10249437 | The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met. |
| 10249027 | 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 for the dealer on how to handle discharged battery complaints. |
| 10247567 | 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, electric fuel pump: pressure value too low CDA594 - Message (- 0x33E) missing, receiver DME, transmitter TFE |
| 10245422 | Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle. Depending on the vehicles equipment and settings, no acoustic or optical confirmation (folding the mirrors/blinking confirmation) is noticeable. Additionally, the red anti-theft alarm LED in the interior mirror does not briefly flash every 2 seconds, indicating the alarm is armed. |
| 10244242 | Various functions of the camera-based driver assistance systems (ADCAM system) can lead to customer complaints. |
| 10182619 | Discharged Battery Energy Diagnosis Must Be Performed: 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 for the dealer on how to handle "discharged battery" complaints. In order to properly repair the vehicle the first time in the workshop, it is very important that the diagnostic test plans are performed to completion, with all results taken into consideration. Without performing the energy diagnosis test plan, the root caus |
| 10154816 | In an effort to improve the completion rate on Takata air bag recall affected vehicles; BMW NA has expanded the BMW Ultimate Rewards platform to include a new Recall Support page. This page will allow IRFs to check their customers VINs for open Takata recalls; and get rewarded for helping us with completing repairs. |
| 10152674 | Radio / Navigation / Head Unit Identification Guide |
| 10149557 | For the above-referenced vehicles with driver?s side airbag modules, BMW of North America, LLC (?BMW NA?) will provide a Customer Support Program as outlined in the Takata Settlement Customer Support Program Overview attachment. This ?component-specific? customer support program applies only if there is a defect in materials or workmanship of the Takata driver?s side airbag module in a listed vehicle. |
| 10052012 | BMW: BATTERY HAS AN INCREASED DEMAND DUE TO DEVELOPEMENTAL PROCESS OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THIS IS CAUSING THE BATTER TO NEED TO UNDERGO AN ENERGY DIAGNOSIS. *KB |
| 10051519 | BMW: THE HIGH-VOLTAGE (HV) BATTERY CELLS COULD BE DAMAGED IF THE VEHICLE IS PREVENTED FROM ENTERING SLEEP MODE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. UPDATED 03/11/2013 *JS |
| 10051439 | BMW: INTERMITTENTLY GOES INTO PARK DURING A MSA ENGINE START. THE TRANSMISSION CAN INTERMITTENTLY GO INTO THE PARK POSITION (P) WHEN MSA ENGINE START IS OCCURRING. A DRIVE GEAR CAN BE SELECTED IN ORDER TO DRIVE AWAY, AND NO RELEVANT FAULTS ARE STORED. *JS |
| 10044024 | BMW: WIPERS LIGHTS AND FRONT POWER WINDOWS ARE INOPERATIVE. THIS SITUATION MAY START AND LEAD TO A PERMANENT FAULT. ALSO INCLUDED MODEL F07 (5 SERIES GRAN TURISMO) MODEL YEARS UP TO MARCH 2012. *JS |
| 10043714 | BMW: STEERING COLUMN SWITCH CENTER CONTAINS ONE OR MORE FAULTS: INTERNAL CONTROL, STEERING WHEEL LOCK RANGE EXCEEDED, WIPER ANGLE DEFECTIVE. VARIOUS CHECK CONTROL MESSAGES APPEAR WITH AIRBAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. *PE |
| 10040853 | BMW: A GRINDING NOISE IS COMING FROM THE DIFFERENTIAL DURING SLOW CORNERING. WHEN TURNING A SLIP/STICK EFFECT IS CREATED ON THE LINING AND STEEL DISCS INCORPORATED IN THE DIFFERENTIAL CLUTCH CAUSES A GRINDING NOISE. *RM |
| 10040852 | BMW: THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT IS ON. THERE ARE TROUBLE CODES STORED FOR THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR. NO DRIVEABILITY ISSUES. *RM |
| 10040057 | BMW: WIRING ON THE HEADLIGHTS MAY HAVE DETERIORATED DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND THE COVER NOT BEING SECURED PROPERLY. E60/E92. *RM UPDATED 9/30/11. *PE |
| 10040046 | BMW: WHEN OUTSIDE TEMP IS BELOW FREEZING THE OUTSIDE DOORS WILL NOT CLOSE OR ARE DIFFICULT TO OPEN. A DOOR CABLE HAS MOISTURE INTRUSION AND FREEZES. *RM |
| 10040045 | BMW: A NEW TECHNICAL SUPPORT PROCESS HAS BEEN CREATED REGARDING TRANSMISSION CONCERNS. *RM |
| 10037025 | BMW: PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING AND REPLACING INCANDESCENT AND HALOGEN LIGHT BULBS UNDER WARRANTY. *RM |
| 10037010 | BMW: SIX DIFFERENT MODELS EQUIPPED WITH THE M54 ENGINE COULD HAVE VALVE COVERS BREAK IN COLD WEATHER AND RUIN THE ENGINE. THIS IS DUE TO MOISTURE ACCUMULATION. *RM |
| 10036979 | BMW: A NEW TECHNICAL PROCESS HAS BEEN CREATED FOR BMW TO IDENTIFY CAUSES OF STEERING COMPLAINTS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF MODELS. *RM |
| 10035246 | BMW VEHICLES: REPLACED SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR MAT WILL NOT ENABLE. AFTER REPLACING A CIS (CAPACITIVE SENSING PASSENGER OCCUPANCY MAT), THE NEW MAT WILL NOT ENABLE WHEN USING ISTA/P. HOWEVER, ISTA/P SHOWS THAT THE ACSM (ACTIVE CRASH SAFETY MODULE) WAS CODED CORRECTLY. THE FOLLOWING FAULTS ARE STORED IN THE ACSM CONTROL MODULE:9309ED, 9309F4 AND 930A23. ADSM CODING *PE |
| 10035244 | BMW VEHICLE: ADAPTIVE HEADLIGHTS. A CHECK CONTROL (CC) MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED FOR THE ADAPTIVE HEADLIGHTS. THE HEADLAMPS NO LONGER TURN WITH STEERING WHEEL MOVEMENT. FAULT CODE 800FC6 IS ENTERED IN THE FOOTWELL MODULE (FRM3). A SECOND TURN SIGNAL REQUEST IS MADE AT THE EXACT MOMENT WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS AUTOMATICALLY CANCELLING FROM A PREVIOUS TURN SIGNAL REQUEST. F07 (5 SERIES), F01, F02, F07 (7 SERIES). *PE |
| 10033130 | BMW VEHICLES: FUEL LEVEL SENSOR REPAIRS. WHERE IT IS NECESSARY TO REPLACE THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT SIDE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR DUE TO A FAILURE, THE ENTIRE PUMP AND HOUSING OR DELIVERY UNIT (SUCTION JET ASSEMBLY) DO NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. IN SOME CASES, EPC DOES NOT SHOW THAT THE REPAIR KIT IS AVAILABLE SEPARATELY IN THE ILLUSTRATION, BUT IT IS AVAILABLE IN THE PARTS DESCRIPTION. ALL MODELS. NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATION
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation