2003 BMW E46 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other E46 years
- Not enough data 6th of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA about the 2003 BMW E46. That ranks 6th out of 9 E46 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is exterior lighting (1 complaints, 100%), typically at around 90,127 miles. There are no safety recalls on file for this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 1owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 BMW E46 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 | 1 | 100% | 90,127 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
2003 BMW E46 recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 2003 BMW E46.
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
- 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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Please let this notice serve as a formal petition for an investigation of a safety-related design defect. The rear tail light bulbs aren't working on the driver's side. The ground wire in the connector, connecting to the bulb carrier seems to be damaged due to a bad ground. I have been replacing…
Other BMW E46 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 E46 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 E46 | 4 | 0 |
| 2003 | 1 | 0 |
| 2002 E46 | 2 | 0 |
| 2000 E46 | 18 | 0 |
| 1999 E46 | 1 | 0 |
| 1997 E46 | 4 | 0 |
| 1996 E46 | 1 | 0 |
| 1995 E46 | 6 | 0 |
See all BMW E46 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 2003 BMW E46?
Owners most often report exterior lighting problems. The top one, exterior lighting, accounts for 1 complaint.
Was there a recall on the 2003 BMW E46?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 2003 BMW E46 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other E46 model years, the 2003 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.