2004 BMW 5 Series problems and complaints
Owners have filed 320 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 BMW 5 Series. The most-reported areas: Air Bags (129), Electrical System (70), Seats (60).
Key takeaways
- 320 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 7 involve a crash, 50 a fire, 18 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 129 | 40% |
| Electrical System | 70 | 22% |
| Seats | 60 | 19% |
| Seat Belts | 34 | 11% |
| Power Train | 32 | 10% |
| Steering | 20 | 6% |
| Engine | 17 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 14 | 4% |
| Service Brakes | 14 | 4% |
| Structure | 10 | 3% |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 10 | 3% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 7 | 2% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 BMW 5 Series 4-DR. w/SAB | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Unknown Or Other - filed 2026-08-29
Vehicle suffered a catastrophic engine fire while parked due to fuel line separation under open recall 04V303000.
Seats - filed 2025-10-15
The heated seats start fires and BMW refuses to acknowledge that my car should've been a part of the NHTSA Recall 04V-575. The dealership denies any issue with the car despite knowing about the hole it burned in my seat.
Electrical System - filed 2024-05-17
BATTERY CABLE - INSULATED BULKHEAD CONNECTOR
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More for the 2004 BMW 5 Series
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.