2003 BMW 745I: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2003 BMW 745I
On the 2003 BMW 745I, the failure owners report most often is other powertrain problem, with 7 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 80,000 miles. Overall it scores 73 out of 100, high risk for a 2003.
High risk for a 2003 — 70th riskiest of the 330 2003 vehicles we can rate. 47 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 18 named failure modes on the 2003 BMW 745I, and the three most-reported carry 34% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Other powertrain problem leads with 7 reports and about 5.1 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other engine problem follows with 5 reports, median 75,000 miles.
Loss of braking follows with 4 reports, median 145,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into transmission (9), brakes (6) and engine (5).
When these failures get reported
36 of the reports on the 2003 BMW 745I came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 80,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 42% by 50,000 miles, 69% by 100,000 miles and 89% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 40,000 and 50,000 miles, which alone holds 19% of the dated reports.
22% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 18. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
How bad it is when it goes
Across the named modes, 10 mention a crash, 2 a fire and 1 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 5.11, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500, other engine problem at $300–$4,000, loss of braking at $400–$3,000 and other electrical problem at $250–$2,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
34% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 7 | 7 | — | 40k | — | 5.1 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other engine problem | engine | 5 | 5 | — | 76k | — | 3.7 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 4 | 1 | — | 147k | — | 2.9 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 4 | 2 | — | 124k | — | 2.9 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 3 | 3 | — | 20k | — | 2.2 | $200–$900 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 3 | 1 | — | 11k | — | 2.2 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Overheating | cooling | 2 | 2 | — | 130k | — | 1.5 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 2 | 2 | — | 34k | — | 1.5 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 2 | 2 | — | 45k | — | 1.5 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 94k | — | 0.7 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 1 | 1 | — | 47k | — | 0.7 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 1 | 1 | — | 155k | — | 0.7 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 98k | — | 0.7 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.7 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.7 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.7 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 1 | 1 | — | 22k | — | 0.7 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.7 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 6 | 6 | — | 98k | — | 4.4 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2003 BMW 745I draws about 34 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 94th percentile of complaint rates among 2003 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 1,367 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2003 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other powertrain problem
I am the first and only owner of a 2003 bmw 745i. At four hundred miles the transmission was replaced due problems shifting etc. At roughly 7500 miles the car while sitting at a stoplight launched itself into the rear end of a SUV causing vehicle damage to the front end of my car. My foot was firmly on the brake yet it still moved. Three weks ago while coasting down a steep freeway decline, the engine revved to 5000 RPM- my foot was not on the gas pedal and the transmission was in gear. Bmw has had the car for thee weeks and can find no problems and wishes to return it to me. I have lost all confidence in the vehicle as it is a danger to me, my family and the public at large. I am not sure of the exact dates as I do not have my paper work with me, but can provide.*ak
Transmission overheats and stalls. While coming to a stop, the car jerks before the stop feels like a someone ran into my bumper with there car. Transmission overheats per dash warning. *tr
Other engine problem
Car rolls backward although automatic transmission and engaged in forward drive gear. This has caused numerous close calls by my car rolling backwards into the one behind me. Cars with automatic transmissions do not roll backward.
My bmw 745i 2003 has experience several area of oil leakage. When brought in to the dealer, I'm told that it's due to the engine cooling error. I found this website with the recall of the same model and year bmw for this very reason but I am told by my dealer and the manufacturing company that my VIN # is not on the list of recalls. How can this be possible when the recall is for the same year and model. *ln
Loss of braking
Was driving car at normal speed maybe 35 or 45 MPH tried to slow down and car seemed to keep going depressed all the way down car slowed finally and stopped was concerned so called the bmw servicer ( authorized repairer) not dealership they checked and informed me of recall on brake system and felt that was the problem cause they had encountered it before saying it was the brake booster or vacuum. The car was unable to drive so was towed to dealership for recall went to pick up vehicle they said car was fine they found nothing wrong with car asked if they had checked thurally they said yes and found no leaks or problems asked if they test drove it they said no asked what did they check they said brake lines and looked for leaks around booster lines and vacuum pump but only a visual inspection and when I went to drive car home the car was having same problem when I called back they said I had to pay for a brake service check to diagnose problem and I asked didn't yall do that when yall had it because I felt it was a danger to me and everyone on highway me driving a car with no brakes but they said that it was not part of the recall…
Recalls on the 2003 model year
NHTSA has issued 2 recall campaigns covering the 2003 BMW 745I, affecting an estimated 2,167 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover engine and engine cooling. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
2,400 vehicles 2003-08-26- Defect
- On certain passenger vehicles, the engine oil filter drain plug may be insufficiently tightened. This could lead to loosening of the plug causing an initial oil spray and a subsequent oil leak.
- Consequence
- If a large amount of oil loss occurs, engine damage may result. Depending on the extent of the damage, a crash could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the torque of the oil filter drain plug and, if necessary, retighten the drain plug with the correctly specified torque. Owner notification began on september 12, 2003. Owners should contact bmw at 1-800-831-1117.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
5,470 vehicles 2003-07-01- Defect
- On certain passenger vehicles, due to a software error, a desynchronization of the valvetronic motors for engine banks I and ii may occur. If this occurs, the engine could stall.
- Consequence
- In those cases, the driver may not be able to restart the engine. Depending on the level of engine roughness, or stalling, as well as traffic conditions and the driver's reactions, this could lead to a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the digital engine management control unit. Owner notification began july 8, 2003. Owners should contact bmw at 1-800-831-1117.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2003 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
How 2003 compares with the other years
High risk for a 2003 — 70th riskiest of the 330 2003 vehicles we can rate. Because the ranking is against the same model year only, age cancels out of it.
Across the 4 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2005 comes out best at 63 and 2003 worst at 73, with 2003 itself at 73.
If the model year is negotiable, 2005, 2002 and 2004 score lower than 2003 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2001–2008 generation specifically, 2005 is the strongest year at 63 and 2003 the weakest at 73.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2001-2008 generation, 2005 BMW 745I scores best at 63 and 2003 BMW 745I worst at 73.
Where these figures stop being useful
47 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 47 reports, 36 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 77% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2003 BMW 745I?
The most-reported failures are other powertrain problem (7 reports, median 40,000 miles), other engine problem (5 reports, median 75,000 miles) and loss of braking (4 reports, median 145,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2003 BMW 745I reliable?
It scores 73 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 70th riskiest of the 330 2003 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2003 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the BMW 745I is best?
Within the 2001–2008 generation, 2005 scores best at 63 out of 100 and 2003 worst at 73. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed