Bmw E46 problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
45 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
90,127 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1990 to 2004 model years. Data snapshot: . 37 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Power Train:Automatic Transmission is the most frequently named component, appearing in 6 of 45 complaints (13.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 2 | 4.4% |
| Braking behavior | 2 | 4.4% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 2 | 4.4% |
| Engine operation | 1 | 2.2% |
| Fuel system concerns | 1 | 2.2% |
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 6 |
| Structure:Frame And Members | 6 |
| Electrical System | 5 |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 |
| Air Bags | 2 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 2 |
| Seats | 2 |
Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 6; Structure:Frame And Members: 6; Electrical System: 5; Exterior Lighting: 5; Air Bags: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 2; Seats: 2
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 1 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 4 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 7 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 8 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 11 |
| 150,000 and above | 6 |
Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 4; 50,000 to 74,999: 7; 75,000 to 99,999: 8; 100,000 to 149,999: 11; 150,000 and above: 6
100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (11). 8 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004 | 2 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 10 |
| 2007 | 18 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 |
2003: 2; 2004: 2; 2005: 1; 2006: 10; 2007: 18; 2008: 3; 2009: 2; 2010: 1; 2011: 1; 2012: 3; 2015: 1; 2016: 1
Pattern summary
Power Train:Automatic Transmission leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 2 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 2 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues 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 10201654 · 2007-09-01 (September 1, 2007)
I WAS RECENTLY DRIVING A 1994 BMW 740I WITH APPROXIMATELY 110,000 MILES ON IT, IT HAD BEEN TAKEN CARE OF VERY WELL, AND UNEXPECTEDLY THE TRANSMISSION WILL "REST" IN A NEUTRAL STATE WHEN IT IS PUT INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE. THIS MEANS IT WILL GO BACKWARDS WHEN IT IS ON AN INCLINE, MAKING IT VERY UNSAFE. THIS PROBLEM DID NOT EXIST PREVIOUSLY WITH THE VEHICLE, AND AFTER MANY MANY HOURS OF RESEARCHING ONLINE, THIS PROBLEM AFFECTS MANY DIFFERENT MODELS OF VEHICLE THAT BMW MAKES. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 110,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10201654 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10197258 · 2007-07-23 (July 23, 2007)
TRANSMISSION ON A BMW 323CI (2000) SUDDENLY FAILED. IT WILL NO LONGER GO INTO REVERSE. FORWARD SEEMS FINE. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS. THERE IS NO MAINTENANCE TO BE PERFORMED. CAR HAS 65XXX MILES. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 65,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10197258 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10205996 · 2007-10-17 (October 17, 2007)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 BMW E46. THE CONTACT HAS NOT YET RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FOR HIS VEHICLE. HE MOVED, WHICH MAY BE THE REASON WHY HE HAS NOT RECEIVED IT IN THE MAIL. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE REPAIRED FOR FREE EVEN THOUGH HE HAS NOT RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER. HE STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER FOR THE BRAKE LIGHT REPAIR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 116,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10205996 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10168130 · 2006-09-13 (September 13, 2006)
FAULT IN THE CONTACTS ON LIGHTING. A CONTINUING FAULT ON THE BRAKE CIRCUIT CAUSES THE WARNING LIGHTS TO COME ON AT DIFFERENT INTERVALS DURING THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE. AFTER CHANGING 4 SET OF REAR TAIL LIGHT BULBS DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR I HAD MY MECHANIC CLEAN THE CONTACTS. WITHIN 3 MONTHS ON CLEANING, THE FAULT LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. AFTER A DAY OR SO THE LIGHT WENT OUT AND HAS NOT RETURNED. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM AS MY BULBS WERE CHANGED 3 TIMES LAST YEAR ON FRONT AND REAR LIGHTS. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 205,233 miles reported. Look up ODI 10168130 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10188169 · 2007-04-17 (April 17, 2007)
DAUGHTER DRIVING TO WORK IN MY 1990 BMW 735I CALLED ME ON CELL PHONE SAID SMELLED HOT WATER AND SOMETHING BURNING. TOLD HER TO PULL OVER AND PARK CAR I WAS ON THE WAY EARLY MORNING COLD. GOT TO CAR INSIDE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND THE WINDOWS HAD WATER ON THE INSIDE OF THEM AND THE DRIVERS AIRBAG HAD TRIGGERED. FIRE DEPARTMENT ON THE SITE SAID IT APPEARS THAT THE HEATER CORE/SYSTEM HAD EXPLODED SHORTING OUT DRIVERS SIDE PANEL AND ELECTRONICS STARTING THE FIRE. DAUGHTER WAS LUCKY TO ESCAPE SINCE THE DOOR LOCKS LOCKED AND NO WAY TO OPEN THEM SINC…
Owner-reported narrative. 213,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10188169 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10693755 · 2015-03-11 (March 11, 2015)
LOOK AT THIS - ANOTHER BMW RECALL IS IN ORDER MY BATTERY KEEPS GETTING FLOODED WITH WATER AND THEN THE CAR WON'T START UNDER SNOW THE ICE MELTS AND SOMEHOW GETTING INTO THE COMPARTMENT WITH THE BATTERY IN THE BOOT NOTHING ELSE IN THE BOOT IS WET - NOT EVEN ON THE PLASTIC PLATE THAT COVERS THE BATTERY BUT IT GETS INTO THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT AND THERE IS NO DRAIN FOR THE WATER TO GO SO MY CAR FAILS TO START MANY MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS ONE WEBSITE IS THIS ALSO CHECK ON BIMMERFEST - TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVING THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION AND COMP…
Owner-reported narrative. 45,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10693755 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10064280 · 2004-03-31 (March 31, 2004)
2000 BMW 328CI STALLS EVERY NOW AND THEN AND WHEN I RESTART IT I FEEL A POWER LOSS. COMES AND GOES. VERY PESKY PROBLEM, MAKES YOU FEEL SCARED YOU MIGHT GET STRANDED. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10064280 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10211507 · 2007-12-11 (December 11, 2007)
MY FUEL TANK SUCKED ITSELF INWARD DUE TO A DEFECTIVE VENT HOSE. BMW KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND ISSUED A SERVICE FLASH IN 1998. (16 04 97) THE VENT HOSE IS CONNECTED TO THE CHARCOAL EMISSIONS CANISTER. PRESENTLY, MY TANKS CAPACITY IS REDUCED BY A FACTOR OF OVER . FURTHERMORE, MY TANK LEAKS GASOLINE FROM A CREASE IN THE DENT, WHICH RESULTED FROM THE INWARD COLLAPSE. I HAVE PERSONALLY READ THE STORIES OF AT LEAST 30 OTHER BMW MODEL E38 OWNERS, WHO HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS. IN SOME CASES, THEIR FUEL TANKS RUPTURED WITHOUT WARNING, SPILLING GAS…
Owner-reported narrative. 200,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10211507 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 0 |
| 1993 | 0 |
| 1994 | 0 |
| 1995 | 0 |
| 1996 | 0 |
| 1997 | 0 |
| 1999 | 0 |
| 2000 | 0 |
| 2002 | 0 |
| 2003 | 0 |
| 2004 | 0 |
1990: 0; 1993: 0; 1994: 0; 1995: 0; 1996: 0; 1997: 0; 1999: 0; 2000: 0; 2002: 0; 2003: 0; 2004: 0