2005 BMW 745I Problems and Recalls (16 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2005 BMW 745I is Electrical (19% of 16 owner reports). There are 3 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Electrical — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 16 complaints · 3 recalls

What problems show up on the 2005 BMW 745I?

3 of 16 filings named Electrical (19% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Airbags (2 reports).

There are 3 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2004 has 24 reports on file; this year has 16. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2005 BMW 745I

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 3 campaigns on file below.
  2. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  3. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  4. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Electrical. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Electrical 3 complaints · 18.8% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 1
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 1
  • Deaths 0
All BMW 745I years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) appears in 3 of 16 owner complaints (18.8%) in this vehicle snapshot. Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 3 complaints, 18.8% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 3 · 18.8% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 2 complaints, 12.5% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 2 · 12.5% Engine (ENGINE): 2 complaints, 12.5% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 2 · 12.5% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 1 complaints, 6.3% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 · 6.3% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 1 complaints, 6.3% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 · 6.3% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 1 complaints, 6.3% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 1 · 6.3% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 10 complaints, 62.5% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 1 crash reports 10 · 62.5% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 3 18.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 2 12.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 2 12.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 6.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 6.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 1 6.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 10 62.5% 1 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2009; the first recall shown was reported in Oct 2012. 2009-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Sep 2007 Apr 2019 Recall campaign 12V502000 ◆ Recall campaign 12V502000 Recall campaign 12V504000 ◆ Recall campaign 12V504000 Recall campaign 17V328000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V328000 Investigation PE07045 ● Investigation PE07045 Investigation EA08001 ● Investigation EA08001 Investigation PE11025 ● Investigation PE11025 Investigation EA12002 ● Investigation EA12002
  • Campaign 12V504000 was reported 1,191 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 17V328000 was reported 2,865 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2009-Q3 Owner reports 2
2009-Q4 Owner reports 1
2010-Q3 Owner reports 1
2011-Q2 Owner reports 2
2011-Q3 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 2
2013-Q3 Owner reports 1
2015-Q2 Owner reports 2
2017-Q2 Owner reports 1
2017-Q3 Owner reports 1
2017-Q4 Owner reports 1
2019-Q2 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 12V502000
Recall campaign 1 12V504000
Recall campaign 1 17V328000
Defect investigation 1 PE07045
Defect investigation 1 EA08001
Defect investigation 1 PE11025
Defect investigation 1 EA12002
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (3)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Electrical.

  1. Recall campaign 12V502000

    Electrical

    Report date
    Component:
    Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 12V504000

    Safety recall 12V504000

    Report date
    Component:
    Unclassified NHTSA leftover
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 17V328000

    Safety recall 17V328000

    Report date
    Component:
    Unclassified NHTSA leftover
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 16 complaints · page 1 of 1
2019-05-22Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11209377
CrashFireInjuryDeath
DRIVING FROM WORK AN MY CAR JUST STARTED LOSING POWER I REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AN BATTERY AN THE CAR DID THE SAME THING.
2017-11-22Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11048100
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 745I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V328000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES); HOWEVER, THE PART FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S DOOR SUDDENLY UNLOCKED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO LOCK THE DOOR A SECOND TIME. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BMW OF MOUNTAIN VIEW (150 E EL CAMINO REAL, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 94040; [redacted]). THE VEHICLE REMAINED AT THE DEALER FOR APPROXIMATELY FOUR MONTHS AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE MATTER HAD NOT BEEN SETTLED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.
2017-07-17Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11005823
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 745I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE DOORS OPENED INDEPENDENTLY. THE FAILURES OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE ALSO OCCURRED IN THE REAR DOORS WHILE HIS DAUGHTER WAS IN THE REAR SEAT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V328000(LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE STERLING BMW DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 172,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
2017-06-14Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 10995046
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE COOLANT SYSTEMS FAILED .AND WITH RESEARCH I WAS ABLE TO DISCOVER A STEADY PROBLEM FOR THESE MODELS.
2015-04-30Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 10713872
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 745I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL THE DOOR LOCKS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SOFTWARE NEEDED TO BE UPDATED. THE CONTACT FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V504000 (LATCHES, LOCKS AND LINKAGES); HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED AND WOULD NOT BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 7/10/15*CN UPDATED 10/11/2017*CN
2015-04-19Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10706556
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE THE DRIVER DOOR EJECTED OPEN CAUSING ME TO STOP INSTANTLY TO WHERE THE DOOR NEEDED TO BE HELD IN ORDER FOR ME TO MAKE IT TO A SAFE DESTINATION SO UNREAL I WAS SCARED TO DEATH IT DOESNT CLOSE AT ALL IN ORDER TO DRIVE NOW. *TR
2013-07-30Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 10532655
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I HAVE BEEN HAVING SEVERAL ELECTRICAL ISSUES ON MY 2005 745I THE ISSUES I AM HAVING ARE ALL ELECTRICAL AND BRAKES, DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW NOT INITIATED, LICENSE PLATE LAMP NOT INITIATED, TRUNK BUTTON NOT WORKING ON DASH PANEL OR KEY FOB OR BUTTON ON TRUNK LID, PARKING BRAKE MALFUNCTIONING AND CAUSED THE ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS TO WARP WHEN THE PARKING BRAKE COME ON SUDDENLY WHILE I WAS MOVING FROM A SPOT I WAS PARKED AT, *TR
2013-06-25Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 10521693
CrashFireInjuryDeath
MY CAR WAS DUE FOR STATE INSPECTION AND I TOOK IT INTO RICHMOND BMW IN MIDLOTHIAN VA. THE TECHNICIAN CALLED AND SAID THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON AND THE SENSOR IS BAD. THERE IS AN AIRBAG RECALL FOR THE OTHER BMW SERIES BUT IT DIDN'T INCLUDE THE SEVEN SERIES. THERE ARE OTHER 7 SERIES OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING. I READ THIS ON THE BMW FORUMS AND IT IS A LOT OF BMW OWNERS SPENDING MONEY FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED AS WELL. CAN YOU PLEASE CONSIDER OUR CARS AS WELL. *TR
2013-06-11Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 10519306
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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.
2011-09-20Suspension (SUSPENSION)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10426514
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2005 BMW 745I?

Owners named Electrical most often — 3 of 16 reports (19%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2005 BMW 745I?

NHTSA lists 3 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2005 BMW 745I?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources