2004 BMW 330I Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 330I years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 23 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 113 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 BMW 330I. That ranks 3rd out of 23 330I model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is exterior lighting (83 complaints, 73%), typically at around 99,000 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 4 fires, 6 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 6 defect investigations involving it.
- 113owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 6NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 BMW 330I problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting problems | 83 | 73% | 99,000 | “reflector bowls” (14%) | $1,750 |
| Air Bags | 20 | 18% | 132,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 10 | 9% | 99,960 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 7 | 6% | 99,960 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 4% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 3% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 2% | 115,725 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1% | 44,300 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | 43,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 BMW 330I recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleDo not drive
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2005 323iT, 325iT, 325xiT, 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 330i and 330xi and 2000-2006 323Ci, 325Ci, 328Ci, 330Ci, M3 Coupe, 323Cic, 325Cic, 330Cic, and M3 Convertible vehicles equipped with non-desiccated frontal Takata PSAN inflators and PSPI passenger frontal air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger's front air bag, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Air bagsDo not drive
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2000 323i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and Sports Wagons; 2000 328i sedans and coupes; 2001-2005 325i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and Sport Wagons; 2001-2005 325xi sedans and Sports Wagons; 2006 325i coupes and convertibles; 2001-2006 330i sedans, coupes, and convertibles; 2001-2005 330xi sedans; and 2001-2006 M3 coupes and convertibles to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag which may produce excessive internal pressure that could cause the air bag inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure could cause rupturing of the inflator resulting in metal fragments striking and potentially seriously injuring the passenger seat occupant or other occupants.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until they have been repaired. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side frontal air bag, free of charge. An interim notice was mailed to owners in September 2014. A second notice was mailed when an adequate supply of parts became available, on December 1, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at [email protected].
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator moduleDo not drive
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i, and 330xi Sedans, and 325xi and 325i Sportswagons, 2002-2006 330Ci, 325Ci, and M3 Convertibles and 325i, 330i, and M3 Coupes, 2002-2003 M5, 540i, 525i Sedan, and 530i Sedans, and 540i and 525i Sportswagons, and 2003 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity Vehicles. Please note that the 5-series and X5 vehicles are only included if they are equipped with the optional sports steering wheel. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began Aug 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-348 in its entirety. Additionally, vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously as part of a recall remedy need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well. Note: On December 17, 2015 BMW removed the model year 2004 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity vehicle from this recall. Those vehicles were mistakenly identified as including the air bags that are subject to this recall.
Exterior lighting:brake lights; exterior lighting:tail lights; exterior lighting:turn signal
Problem: Bmw is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i, and 330xi vehicles manufactured from september 1, 2001, through march 1, 2005. Over time, resistance in the electrical contacts may cause one or more rear lamp functions (tail light, brake light, and/or turn-signal), within the vehicle's body panel, to stop working.
Risk: Intermittent light operation reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions. This could cause a vehicle crash without warning.
Fix: Bmw will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on february 15, 2012. Owners may contact bmw customer relations and services at 1-800-525-7417.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA15001) — opened Feb 24, 2015, still open, led to recall 14V668.
- Air Bag Inflator Rupture (PE14016) — opened Jun 11, 2014, closed Mar 2, 2015, led to recall 13V172000.
- Rear Lamp Illumination (EA09019) — opened Dec 18, 2009, closed Sep 28, 2011, led to recall 11V438000.
- Rear lamp illumination (PE09036) — opened Aug 7, 2009, closed Dec 22, 2009, led to recall 11V438000.
- Rear lamp illumination (DP09002) — opened Apr 8, 2009, closed Aug 6, 2009.
- Delayed transmission engagement (DP04001) — opened Feb 3, 2004, closed May 27, 2004.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2004 BMW 330. The contact stated while driving at approximately 20 MPH, the front center of the vehicle crashed into the front center of another vehicle and the air bags did not deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was filed. The contact stated that her and…
Unknown
This car has factory HID Xenon projector headlights. Over time the reflector bowls burned and melted from the heat of the light bulbs, causing some wire insulation to melt, and a brown film to cover all surfaces inside the headlight assembly. The brown coating makes the headlights dangerously dim…
Two hours after I got to work one of my coworkers came running in the backroom, And told me my car was on fire.
Right front low beam headlamp cuts out intermittently and eventually stops working due to cracked wiring inside the adjustable headlamp unit. For awhile, my headlight would stop working while making a right turn but then turn back on when straightened out. After two right turns, the headlight would…
Other BMW 330I years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 330I | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 330I | 5 | 1 |
| 2024 330I | 5 | 2 |
| 2023 330I | 4 | 2 |
| 2022 330I | 6 | 3 |
| 2021 330I | 29 | 7 |
| 2020 330I | 53 | 11 |
| 2019 330I | 41 | 9 |
| 2018 330I | 32 | 1 |
| 2017 330I | 41 | 0 |
| 2011 330I | 0 | 3 |
| 2010 330I | 0 | 3 |
| 2009 330I | 0 | 3 |
| 2008 330I | 0 | 3 |
| 2007 330I | 0 | 3 |
| 2006 330I | 219 | 7 |
| 2005 330I | 28 | 4 |
| 2004 | 113 | 4 |
| 2003 330I | 77 | 6 |
| 2002 330I | 45 | 6 |
| 2001 330I | 116 | 7 |
| 2000 330I | 0 | 3 |
| 1999 330I | 0 | 2 |
See all BMW 330I problems by year, every BMW model, or the BMW VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 BMW 330I?
Owners most often report exterior lighting, air bags, electrical system problems. The top one, exterior lighting, accounts for 83 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 BMW 330I?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 BMW 330I a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 330I model years, the 2004 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.