2005 Bmw 745I: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
16 owner complaints analyzed
3 distinct recall campaigns
109,410 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2005 model year. Data snapshot: . 12 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 4 of 16 complaints (25.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 3 | 18.8% |
| Braking behavior | 2 | 12.5% |
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 6.3% |
| Engine operation | 1 | 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 4 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 3 |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 2 |
| Air Bags | 1 |
| Engine | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 |
| Equipment Adaptive/Mobility | 1 |
| Power Train | 1 |
Electrical System: 4; Latches/Locks/Linkages: 3; Air Bags:Frontal: 2; Air Bags: 1; Engine: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling: 1; Equipment Adaptive/Mobility: 1; Power Train: 1
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 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 4 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 5 |
| 150,000 and above | 2 |
Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 4; 100,000 to 149,999: 5; 150,000 and above: 2
100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (5). 4 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 |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2013 | 3 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2019 | 1 |
2009: 3; 2010: 1; 2011: 3; 2013: 3; 2015: 2; 2017: 3; 2019: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 3 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 2 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 1 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10276807 · 2009-07-14 (July 14, 2009)
2005 BMW 745I DRIVER RESTRAINTS SYSTEM FAULTS DRIVER MAT SEAT SENSOR FAILURE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10276807 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10278164 · 2009-07-24 (July 24, 2009)
MY CAR WAS REPAIRED BACK IN 9/8/2008 FOR NON FUNCTIONING DOOR HANDLES AND LOCKS. SINCE THE REPLACEMENT OF THESE PARTS THE DOORS HAVE OPENED WITHOUT NOTICE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THE SOFTWARE NEEDED TO BE UPDATED, SO THEY UPDATED THE SOFTWARE AND SAID IT WAS FIXED. SO I CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE SINCE THEY SAID IT WAS FIXED. I WAS GOING ON A ROAD TRIP WITH MY FAMILY IN THIS VEHICLE, AND DURING THIS ROAD TRIP I WAS GETTING OFF THE HIGHWAY ON AN EXIT RAMP AND THE DOOR SWUNG COMPLETELY OP…
Owner-reported narrative. 85,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10278164 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10289980 · 2009-10-27 (October 27, 2009)
CAR IS A 2005 BMW 745I. DRIVER'S SIDE OCCUPANT SENSOR (IN SEAT) HAS CRACKED AND IS CAUSING AIRBAG LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE AND AS I UNDERSTAND IS DISABLING THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG. THERE IS ALREADY A RECALL ON THE CAR FOR THE PASSENGER-SIDE SENSOR CRACKING, WHICH IS A VERY SIMILAR PART. DEALERSHIP AND BMW USA IS REFUSING TO ASSIST ME, I BELIEVE THAT DUE TO THE SIMILARITIES IN NATURE TO THE PASSENGER-SIDE SEAT SENSOR RECALL, THE DRIVERS-SIDE SEAT SENSOR NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO AS WELL FOR OBVIOUS SAFETY REASONS. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 84,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10289980 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10355296 · 2010-09-13 (September 13, 2010)
TRANSMISSION SKIPPED, ESPECIALLY WHEN COMING TO A STOP...IT WAS DIAGNOSED AND "REPAIRED" BY REPLACING THE "MECHATRONICS" IN THE VEHICLE. NOW, IT HAS OCCURRED AGAIN, AND THEY CLAIM NOW THAT IT IS THE FAILURE OF THE DOOR OPENING SYSTEM, INSTALLED BY BMW, THAT'S CAUSING THE BATTERY TO "LEAK", THEREFORE CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO MALFUNCTION..I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TWO ITEMS, AND IF SO THIS COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO MYSELF AND FAMILY. THE CAR COULD COME TO A SUDDEN STOP AT ANY TIME AND CAUSE US TO GO FORWARD, AND POS…
Owner-reported narrative. 35 miles reported. Look up ODI 10355296 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10398980 · 2011-04-29 (April 29, 2011)
POWER BRAKE FAILURE. WE NEVER RECEIVED OCTOBER 2010 RECALL NOTICE FROM BMW USA. DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED LEAKING VACUUM PUMP BUT NEVER ADVISED OWNER TO REPLACE/REPAIR; DEALERSHIP HAD TWO OPPORTUNITIES TO CORRECT, BUT DIDN'T.
Owner-reported narrative. 108,820 miles reported. Look up ODI 10398980 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10400806 · 2011-05-13 (May 13, 2011)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 745I. THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION AND WHILE IN PARK, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO EXHIBIT AN ABNORMAL INCREASE IN RPMS WITH A ROUGH IDLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE IGNITION COIL, AIR PUMP, ENGINE SUPPLY PIE AND ENGINE VALVES WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE FAILURE ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V240000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) BUT THE CONTACTS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE DEALER TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT…
Owner-reported narrative. 83,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10400806 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10426514 · 2011-09-20 (September 20, 2011)
THERE IS A RECALL ON THE REAR SUSPENSION CAUSING THE BUSHINGS TO GO OUT. MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED. I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY CARE IS THERE A WAY THAT YOU CAN EMAIL ME A LETTER INCLUDING MY VIN NUMBER. I THINK IT SHOULD BE ALL OF THEM. IT IS CAMPAIGN NUMBER 06V27000. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10426514 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10519306 · 2013-06-11 (June 11, 2013)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 745I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE ENGINE WAS RESTARTED AND RESUMED WITH THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATING INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,000.
Owner-reported narrative. 111,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10519306 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
3 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
12V502000 · Electrical System:Ignition:Switch | Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm) | Power Train:Automatic Transmission
Reported: 2012-10-17 (October 17, 2012)
BMW is recalling certain model year 2005-2008 7-Series vehicles, equipped with the Comfort Access option, and manufactured August 23, 2004, through July 24, 2008. The affected vehicles have an electronic key and an electronic connection between the gear shifter and the transmission (shift-by-wire) that automatically shifts the transmission to Park when the driver presses the Start/Stop button to shutdown the engine. If the driver presses the engine Start/Stop button 2 or 3 times within a short time interval, the system may shift the transmission to Neutral rather than Park. If using the electronic key (Comfort Access mode), there would be no protection from the ignition interlock that prevents key removal if the vehicle is not in Park.
Consequence: If the driver exits the vehicle with the transmission in Neutral and the parking brake is not applied, the vehicle may rollaway. Unattended rollaway incidents often result in a crash or cause injury to pedestrians attempting to stop or enter the vehicle or to other bystanders in the path of the vehicle.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners beginning in November 2012. The remedy became available in March 2013. Owners may call BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
NHTSA campaign record ↗12V504000 · Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch
Reported: 2012-10-17 (October 17, 2012)
BMW is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 7-Series vehicles, equipped with both Comfort Access and Soft Close Automatic options, and manufactured August 23, 2004, through September 3, 2007. Due to a software problem, the doors may appear to be closed and latched, but, in fact, may inadvertently open.
Consequence: The door may unexpectedly open due to road or driving conditions or occupant contact with the door. The sudden opening may result in occupant ejection or increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners and dealers will update software. The recall began on December 12, 2012. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
NHTSA campaign record ↗17V328000 · Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch
Reported: 2017-05-18 (May 18, 2017)
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2005-2008 745i, 745Li, 750i, 750Li, 760i, 760Li, and B7 Alpina vehicles equipped with both the Comfort Access and Soft Close Automatic options. In these vehicles, the doors may appear to be closed and latched, but, in fact, may inadvertently open.
Consequence: The door may unexpectedly open due to road or driving conditions or occupant contact with the door. The sudden opening may result in occupant ejection or increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the door latch system, free of charge. The recall began February 8, 2018. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
NHTSA campaign record ↗