2004 BMW 330XI Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2004 BMW 330XI, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags861.5%
- Exterior lighting323.1%
- Electrical17.7%
- Powertrain (other)17.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
i was driving about 35mph and hit a pot hole in the road. that caused my passenger front, passenger side door, and passenger aide door top to deploy.
AIR BAG TROUBLE COD LIGHT ON THE DASH DRIVING CAR ON STREET AND HIGHWAY
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 330XI. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 11V438000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING), 15V318000 (AIR BAGS) AND 14V428000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIRS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 330XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE, TAIL AND TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS WERE DEFECTIVE. THE LIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN ACTIVATED AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE BRAKE LIGHTS, TAIL LIGHTS AND THE TURN SIGNALS BUT THE REPAIRS DID NOT REMEDY THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN I.D. NUMBER: 11V438000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTS) AND CALLED A DEALER REGARDING THE RECALL. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE CONTACT DID NOT CALL THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,500.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
SECURITY LOCK SYSTEM FAILED TO ALLOW PASSENGERS TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE DOORS WOULD NOT UNLOCK AND THE PASSENGERS HAD TO CLIMB OUT OF THE WINDOWS TO EXIT. IF THERE WERE AN EMERGENCY (E.G. CAR DROVE INTO DEEP WATER) THE WINDOWS WOULD NOT FUNCTION AND THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO WAY TO EXIT THE CAR. SEEM LIKE A SERIOUS FAILURE. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TAKES A LONG TIME TO ENGAGE WHEN SHIFTED INTO DRIVE BUT ONCE IT GETS GOING, IT SHIFTS SMOOTHLY. I SPOKE TO A TECHNICIAN AND THERE IS NO KNOWN FIX FOR IT.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .