Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 BMW 745LI submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
I HAVE A SERIOUS OIL LEAK MY, LIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING, AIRBAG IN THE SEAT NOT WORKING, BRAKES AND HUD ASSEMBLY HAS TO BE REPLACED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 745LI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE CHIME SOUNDED THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT. AFTER RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED AND STALLED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.
TERRIBLE TRANSMISSION IN THIS CAR!!!WHILE DRIVING, THIS CAR JUMPS INTO GEAR. FEELS LIKE SOMEONE HIT ME FROM BEHIND WHENEVER I STOP. IT ALSO STARTED LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS CAR, I HAVE FOUND OUT THE 745LI MODELS ARE KNOWN FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS,AND LEAKS. THIS CAR SHOULD HAVE A RECALL ON IT,BECAUSE APPARENTLY BMW KNOWS THIS,AND HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT. THEY SHOULD MAKE CONSUMERS AWARE THEY HAVE ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSIONS. I WENT TO DROP CAR OFF FOR REPAIR,AND THERE WERE 4 OTHER 745LI'S NEEDING SAME REPAIR. BMW SHOULD BE MADE TO RECALL THESE CARS,AND PAY TO HAVE THEM REPAIRED,OR REIMBURSE US IF WE ALREADY HAD THIS FIXED. *TR
11/09 DRIVERSIDE WINDOW REGULATOR REPLACED;CONSTANTLY REPLACING DRIVER SIDE TURN SIGNAL BULB; IN APPROX. MARCH 2010 CAR WOULD RANDOMLY NOT GO INTO REVERSE AND WHEN I WAS ABLE TO GET IT INTO DRIVE CAR WOULD FEEL SLUGGISH OR WHEN COMING TO A STOP FELT AS IF I WAS HIT FROM BEHIND OR CAR WOULD GO INTO FAILSAFE MODE AND I WOULD BE UNABLE TO ACCELERATE, HAD DIAGNOSED BY BMW WAS TOLD 10K+ TO HAVE TRANNY REPLACED ; FOUND A REBUILT TRANNY AND REPLACED IN APPROX. MAY 2010; HERE WE ARE IN AUGUST 2011 AND CAR AGAIN BEGAN TO NOT GO INTO REVERSE AND GIVE A FAILSAFE NOTIFICATION; ATTEMPTED TO START CAR TODAY 8/8 TO TAKE TO SHOP; HOWEVER CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE AND WHEN IT FINALLY INDICATED IT WAS IN REVERSE; ACTUALLY WENT FORWARD BEGAN TO MAKE A WEIRD GRINDING NOISE SO I TURNED IT OFF AND THERE IT SITS IN MY DRIVEWAY LEAKING WHAT I PRESUME TO BE TRANSMISSION FLUID UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. CURRENT MILEAGE 133K
THERE IS A TUBE IN ENGINE THAT IS SECURED WITH TWO O RINGS. THE TUBE HOLDS COOLANT. IF THE O RINGS FAIL, THEN THE COOLANT LEAKS AND THE ENGINE WILL OVERHEAT. THERE ARE MULTIPLE CASES OF THIS DOCUMENTED ON THE INTERNET AND IT HAS OCCURRED IN MY VEHICLE. SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES HAVE INDICATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT THEY SEE ON 745'S ENGINES MADE BEFORE 2006. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 745LI. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING RECURRING FAILURES IN WHICH THE DASHBOARD WOULD DISPLAY AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION MESSAGE BEFORE STALLING. THE FAILURES OCCURRED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. AFTER THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WOULD BE PULLED OVER AND RESTARTED. AFTER SOME OF THE FAILURES THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V240000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,580.
COOLANT LEAKS AFTER 92K MILES. LOOKS LIKE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON BMW 745LI. *TR
I OWN A 2003 745LI, BOUGHT IT CERTIFIED USED IN 2006. I HAVE SO FAR HAD AIR CONDITIONING PROBLEMS, OIL LEAKS, TRANSMISSION FAILURES AND LEAKS, POWER WINDOW FAILURE AND SO MANY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THAT THEY ARE TOO NUMEROUS TO LIST. MY CAR IS LITERALLY IN THE SHOP ONCE A MONTH. AS OF JULY 2009 THE VEHICLE HAS 63,000 MILES AND TRUST ME, IT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED PERFECTLY. IT EVEN PASSED A 160 POINT INSPECTION FOR THE EZ CARE AUTO EXTENDED WARRANTY AND PROCEEDED TO BREAK DOWN 3 WEEKS LATER, HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE? I PAID CLOSE TO 70K FOR A USED VEHICLE. I COULD HAVE BOUGHT TWO BRAND NEW TOP OF THE LINE JAPANESE CARS. *TR
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .