Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2004 BMW 7 Series, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train4
- Service brakes, hydraulic4
- Air bags3
- Steering3
- Electrical system3
- Seats3
- Engine and engine cooling3
- Fuel system, gasoline3
- Visibility2
- Service brakes2
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Engines
The most common engines in 2004 BMW 7 Series cars on Dutch roads are the 4.4 petrol (245 kW, 329 hp), 6.0 petrol (327 kW, 439 hp) and 3.6 petrol (200 kW, 268 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 4.4 petrol | 245 kW 329 hp | 46 |
| 6.0 petrol | 327 kW 439 hp | 28 |
| 3.6 petrol | 200 kW 268 hp | 24 |
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
119 first registered in 2004 are on Dutch roads; 45% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €129,672.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen63
- Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect62
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde33
- Band onvoldoende profiel32
- Remslang beschadigd, wapeningsmateriaal zichtbaar20
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld18
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm17
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm17
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
189 cars built in 2004 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 230 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, 357 of these cars first registered in 2004 took their annual MOT test. 71% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2004 the figure was 56%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2004 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 0.8% | 17.2% |
| Brakes | 0.6% | 13.8% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 0.6% | 21.8% |
| Tyres | 0.6% | 6.7% |
| Road Wheels | 0.3% | 0.5% |
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
39 of these cars first registered in 2004 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 347,000 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
54 2004 cars are on the New Zealand register; 61% arrived as used imports, 31% 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 7 Series.
| 2012352 17 Oct 2012 | Other On certain vehicles equipped with the Soft Close Automatic, as well as the Comfort Access option, the doors may not latch correctly. Should a door open while t… |
| 2012350 17 Oct 2012 | Powertrain On certain vehicles equipped with the Comfort Access option, if the driver depresses the start-stop button multiple times in rapid succession, the transmission … |
| 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… |
| 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… |
| 2004266 29 Jul 2004 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the driver's seat occupant detection system may not be able to reliably determine if the driver's seat is occupied. As a result, it is pos… |
| 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… |
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, 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.
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, THE SOFTWARE PROGRAMMING OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM (ODS) MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RELIABLY DETERMINE IF THE DRIVER'S SEAT IS OCCUPIED.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 8 AND 12 CYLINDER ENGINES, THE DIGITAL ENGINE MANAGEMENT CONTROL (EMC) UNITS WERE NOT PRODUCED ACCORDING TO SPECIFICATIONS.
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 7 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 |
| 10145306 | 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: |
| 10143564 | 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: |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 10043689 | BMW: AFTER A FEW MILES OR SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES, CHECK CONTROL MESSAGE, HYBRID MALFUNCTION, MAY APPEAR AFTER PROGRAMMING OF SOFTWARE FOR VEHICLE. *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 |
| 10037700 | BMW: THERE MAY BE EXCESSIVE CRANKING BEFORE THE VEHICLE STARTS. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT MAY ALSO BE ON WITH A LACK OF ENGINE POWER. *RM |
| 10037025 | BMW: PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING AND REPLACING INCANDESCENT AND HALOGEN LIGHT BULBS UNDER WARRANTY. *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 |
| 10035010 | BMW VEHICLE: TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED AND THE TRANSMISSION ENTERS FAILSAFE MODE. FAULT CODE 4F81 (RATIO MONITORING, CLUTCH A), IN SOME CASES COMBINED WITH THE SUBSEQUENT FAULTS 507B/507C (PARKING GEAR SENSOR IMPLAUSIBLE SIGNAL) OR 507D (PARKING GEAR INCORRECTLY DISENGAGED), ARE STORED IN THE EGS CONTROL MODULE. E60, E51, E65, E66, E70, E90, E91, E92, E93. NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE |
| 10033132 | BMW VEHICLES: N63 TURBOCHARGER AUXILIARY WATER PUMP FAULTS. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LAMP IS ILLUMINATED WITH THE FOLLOWING FAULT CODES STORED IN THE DME CONTROL MODULE. TURBOCHARGER COOLANT PUMP, CONTROL LINE, ELECTRIC, 0X1016-LINE INTERRUPTION. AN INTERNAL COMPONENT FAULT OF THE AUXILIARY WATER PUMP WILL CAUSE IT TO NOT POWER UP INTERMITTENTLY. IMPROVED PUMPS WENT INTO PRODUCTION ON 6/3/09. MODELS E70, E71, E72, F01, F02, F04, F07, F10. *PE UPDATED 2/7/11. NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *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 |
| 10032990 | BMW: DIAGNOSIS OF DME ME 9.2 MAP THERMOSTAT FAULT 2EF4/279B. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE ENGINE DOES NOT OVERHEAT AND THE MAP THERMOSTAT OPERATES PROPERLY. POSSIBLE CAUSES ARE DETERIORATION OF COOLANT QUALITY; INCREASED CONTACT RESISTANCE BETWEEN THE THERMOSTAT TEMPERATURE SENSOR, THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS AND THE DME CONNECTOR; INTERNAL DEFECT OF A MAP COOLING THERMOSTAT. *PE UPDATED 11/17/10. *PE |
| 10029964 | BMW: THE SAFETY BELTS FOR THE FRONT SEATS HAVE AN ELECTRIC MOTOR-DRIVEN REEL (EMA) WHICH WILL RETRACT/PRETENSION THE SEAT BELT A SPECIFIED AMOUNT WHEN CERTAIN HAZARDOUS DRIVING SITUATIONS ARE PRESENT. *PE |
| 10029684 | BMW: SERVICE ENGINE SOON LAMP OR THE CHECK GAS CAP WARNINGS ARE ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. WHEN DIAGNOSED, THE DME HAS STORED FAULTS FOR SMALL LEAK, MICRO LEAK, SUPER FINE LEAK, OR LARGE LEAK IN RELATION TO THE TANK VENTILATION OR EVAPORATIVE SYSTEM *PE UPDATED 10/27/09. *PE |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Vehicle Rollaway
Vehicle Rollaway
BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATION
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation