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2004 BMW 3 SeriesProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 77 owner complaints about the 2004 BMW 3 Series, most often about the exterior lighting. It has no vehicle safety recalls on record.

47
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.1× the 3 Series median · #4 of 12 years by complaints
Safety recalls0None on recordOwner complaints776 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage89kExterior lighting, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 22, 2019. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2004 BMW 3 Series has problems

77 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Exterior lighting421
Air bags150
Electrical system122
Visibility/wiper30
Latches/locks/linkages30
Seats21
Structure20
Visibility20
Power train20
8 other systems81

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

0 recalls

2004 BMW 3 Series recalls and how many were fixed

No vehicle safety recalls are on record for this model year.

Mileage at failure

When do exterior lighting problems start?

89kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 27 exterior lighting complaints. 59% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
0under 30k miles16under 100k miles11100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2004 vs. every other 3 Series year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the 3 Series median. How we score

'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'23
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2004 BMW 3 Series safety ratings

2004 BMW 3 Series 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2004 BMW 3 Series frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2004 BMW 3 Series, and the recalls they led to.

  1. REAR LAMP ILLUMINATIONDP09002 · closed Aug 6, 2009
    No recall
  2. Rear Lamp IlluminationEA09019 · closed Sep 28, 2011
    Led to recall 11V-438
  3. REAR LAMP ILLUMINATIONPE09036 · closed Dec 22, 2009
    Led to recall 11V-438
In owners' words

What 3 Series owners report

Recent exterior lighting complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

HEADLAMP BULB OUT AND UPON REPLACEMENT IT WAS NOTED THE COATED WIRING TO THE XENON SYSTEM TO RIGHT AND LEFT HEADLIGHT IS BRITTLE (THE WIRES PLASTIC COATING IS FALLING OFF)AND IN SOME PLACES EXPOSED WIRING WAS FOUND. ELECTRICAL TAPE NEED TO WRAP THE WIRING TO AVOID POTENTIAL FIRE. LATE NOTICE TO…
Complaint 11190961 · Mar 22, 2019 · 120,000 miles
HEADLIGHTS PROJECT ALMOST NO LIGHT. JUST PAID $130 TO HAVE LENSES CLEANED, NO IMPROVMENT. I THOUGHT IT WAS MY EYES AND COMPLAINED TO OPTHAMOLOGIST TWICE BUT MY EYES ARE OK. I'VE READ THT THE REFLECTOR BOWLS IN THIS MODEL MELT FROM THE HEAT OF THE BULB. I NEED TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION ASAP SO I WILL…
Complaint 10939058 · Jan 2, 2017
MY HEADLIGHTS ARE SO DIM AT NIGHT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE WITHOUT HIGH BEAMS ON AT ALL TIMES. THE FOG LIGHTS ARE BRIGHTER THAN MY NEW HEADLIGHT BULBS. ONLY SOLUTION SEEMS TO REPLACE THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY BUT AFTER RESEARCHING THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH BMW SO WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO SPEND…
Complaint 10915585 · Oct 12, 2016

Own a 2004 3 Series?

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