2004 BMW E46 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other E46 years
- Not enough data 3rd of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 BMW E46. That ranks 3rd out of 9 E46 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is exterior lighting (2 complaints, 50%), typically at around 133,500 miles. There are no safety recalls on file for this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 4owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 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 | 2 | 50% | 133,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 25% | 131,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 25% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 25% | 190,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 BMW E46 recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 2004 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.
Airbag deployed when hitting pot hole at around 30mph. This is an issue with many e46's that the airbag is too sensitive.
Bonjour, les rflecteurs zkw de mes feux xnon sont bruls. Mes feux n'clairent plus. *tr
Factory bi-xenon headlights gradually dimmed. By 77k miles the light output was too dim to safely drive at night. Compared to a new model at dealer with xenon lights and found very noticeable difference. Mechanic analysis found metallized plastic reflectors on xenon bulbs had burned and lost their…
I received a letter from bmw ststing there was now a recall for the bad ground wire on the rear taillight assembly that caused the metling of the connector. I had already spent $400 for the fix, now they recall the part. Bmw north america took too long to do this, and i am going into the delaership…
Other BMW E46 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 E46 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | 4 | 0 |
| 2003 E46 | 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 2004 BMW E46?
Owners most often report exterior lighting, air bags, electrical system problems. The top one, exterior lighting, accounts for 2 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 BMW E46?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 2004 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 2004 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.