2004 Bmw E46: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
4 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
105,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2004 model year. Data snapshot: . 4 complaints include usable failure mileage.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Exterior Lighting is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 4 complaints (50.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | 2 |
| Air Bags | 1 |
| Electrical System | 1 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 1 |
Exterior Lighting: 2; Air Bags: 1; Electrical System: 1; Visibility/Wiper: 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 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 2 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 2; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 1
75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (2). 0 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 |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2016 | 1 |
2012: 3; 2016: 1
Pattern summary
Exterior Lighting leads the component reports. 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 10444127 · 2012-01-17 (January 17, 2012)
I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM BMW STSTING THERE WAS NOW A RECALL FOR THE BAD GROUND WIRE ON THE REAR TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY THAT CAUSED THE METLING OF THE CONNECTOR. I HAD ALREADY SPENT $400 FOR THE FIX, NOW THEY RECALL THE PART. BMW NORTH AMERICA TOOK TOO LONG TO DO THIS, AND I AM GOING INTO THE DELAERSHIP TO SEE ABOUT GETTING A REFUND FOR THE SERVICE I PAID FOR THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER.
Owner-reported narrative. 80,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10444127 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10448204 · 2012-02-16 (February 16, 2012)
FACTORY BI-XENON HEADLIGHTS GRADUALLY DIMMED. BY 77K MILES THE LIGHT OUTPUT WAS TOO DIM TO SAFELY DRIVE AT NIGHT. COMPARED TO A NEW MODEL AT DEALER WITH XENON LIGHTS AND FOUND VERY NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE. MECHANIC ANALYSIS FOUND METALLIZED PLASTIC REFLECTORS ON XENON BULBS HAD BURNED AND LOST THEIR REFLECTIVITY. REPLACEMENT REFLECTORS ARE NOT SOLD AS SERVICE PARTS BY BMW, SO REMEDY INVOLVES COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 77,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10448204 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10460106 · 2012-05-31 (May 31, 2012)
BONJOUR, LES RFLECTEURS ZKW DE MES FEUX XNON SONT BRULS. MES FEUX N'CLAIRENT PLUS. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 190,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10460106 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10873665 · 2016-06-10 (June 10, 2016)
AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHEN HITTING POT HOLE AT AROUND 30MPH. THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH MANY E46'S THAT THE AIRBAG IS TOO SENSITIVE.
Owner-reported narrative. 131,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10873665 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.