U.S. public vehicle records

2003 Bmw 745I problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

32 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

74,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2003 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 26 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Power Train:Automatic Transmission is the most frequently named component, appearing in 5 of 32 complaints (15.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Transmission and shifting	9	28.1%
Braking behavior	9	28.1%
Engine operation	2	6.3%
Electrical and battery issues	2	6.3%
Steering behavior	2	6.3%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Air Bags

Engine

Power Train

Seat Belts

Service Brakes

Electrical System

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 5; Air Bags: 4; Engine: 4; Power Train: 4; Seat Belts: 3; Service Brakes: 3; Electrical System: 2; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 2

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 7; 25,000 to 49,999: 4; 50,000 to 74,999: 2; 75,000 to 99,999: 6; 100,000 to 149,999: 5; 150,000 and above: 2

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (7). 6 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2004

2005

2007

2008

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2018

2023

2004: 6; 2005: 3; 2007: 1; 2008: 2; 2010: 1; 2011: 3; 2012: 3; 2013: 3; 2014: 4; 2015: 3; 2018: 2; 2023: 1

Pattern summary

Power Train:Automatic Transmission leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 9 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 9 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10060878 · 2004-03-09 (March 9, 2004)

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.

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10060878 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10072452 · 2004-05-11 (May 11, 2004)

NEW BMW 745I WAS PURCHASED ON OCTOBER 29, 2003. SINCE JANUARY 2004, VEHICLE HAS ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS EXHIBITED TRANSMISSION FAILURE. ON EACH OCCASION, THE VEHICLE WOULD EXHIBIT VERY HARD SHIFTING, FOLLOWED BY VIOLENT JERKING, HALTING AND DOWNSHIFTING WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEED ON THE STREET OR HIGHWAY, THROWING THE PASSENGERS FORWARD VIOLENTLY. MULTIPLE TRANSMISSION WARNING SOUNDS AND MESSAGES ARE DISPLAYED. LOUD METALLIC GRINDING AND RATTLING NOISES COME FROM THE TRANSMISSION AREA. THE CAR THROWS ITSELF INTO PARK AS THE CAR SLOWS TO …

Owner-reported narrative. 4,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10072452 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10113599 · 2005-03-07 (March 7, 2005)

WHILE WAITING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THE CONSUMER HAD BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SURGE FORWARD RESULTING IN TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE DAMAGING 5 OTHER VEHICLES IN THE PROCESS. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 22,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10113599 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10117966 · 2005-04-16 (April 16, 2005)

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 P…

Owner-reported narrative. 8,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10117966 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10397259 · 2011-04-24 (April 24, 2011)

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

Owner-reported narrative. 95,160 miles reported. Look up ODI 10397259 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10783556 · 2015-10-20 (October 20, 2015)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 745I. AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, THE "ENGINE FAIL SAFE TRANSMISSION" MESSAGE DISPLAYED AND THE SHIFTER WOULD NOT SWITCH OUT OF THE PARK POSITION. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE "FAILED TRANSMISSION DRIVE MODERATE" MESSAGE DISPLAYED AND THE SPEED WOULD SUDDENLY REDUCE. THE VEHICLE ALSO JERKED AND ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATE ON OCCASION DURING GEAR CHANGES. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WERE NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 100,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10783556 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10667569 · 2014-12-22 (December 22, 2014)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 745I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER EXITING THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE ROLLED AWAY. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V502000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 153,000. UPDATED 02/09/15*LJ THE CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNS THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 10/7/2015 *JS

Owner-reported narrative. 153,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10667569 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11119569 · 2018-08-13 (August 13, 2018)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 745I. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE FAN BELT FRACTURED AND AN UNKNOWN WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, WHICH MEANT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. A WEEK LATER, THE HOOD WAS OPENED AND SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM THE COMPUTER PANEL AS A FIRE STARTED. THE CONTACT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITH A WATER HOSE AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. THE VEHICLE STOPPED SMOKING ONCE THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,0…

Owner-reported narrative. 130,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11119569 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10065254 · 2004-03-30 (March 30, 2004)

STEERING MECHANISM ON THE VEHICLE WOULD LOCK UP AT THE END OF THE STEERING ROTATION. (NAR) *PH NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM, RADIO, BUMPER AND WINDOWS WERE DEFECTIVE. *CB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10065254 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10206165 · 2007-10-18 (October 18, 2007)

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A SET OF FOUR 22" SEVAS S-10 WHEELS FOR MY 2003 BMW 745I. I LIVE IN HAWAII AND ORDERED MY WHEELS FROM DNJ WHEELS IN CALIFORNIA. DNJ SHIPPED MY WHEELS AND TIRES TO ME MOUNTED AND BALANCED, SO WHEN I RECEIVED THEM I TOOK THE SET TO MY LOCAL TIRE STORE (LEX BRODIE) AND HAD THEM INSTALLED. AS SOON AS I LEFT THE LEX BRODIE TIRE STORE I NOTICED A SHAKING IN THE CAR. I FELT IT IN THE STEERING WHEEL AS WELL AS THE SEAT I WAS IN. I TOOK THE CAR BACK AND ASKED THE MAN THAT INSTALLED THE WHEELS TO CHECK THE LUG NUTS AND MAKE SURE T…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10206165 at NHTSA ↗