Skip to content
EquipmentPart report

2004 BMW 325I Equipment Problems

Complaints
4about this part
Share
3%of 147 total for the year
Median mileage
50,395miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the equipment of the 2004 BMW 325I, 3% of the 147 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 50,395 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“Just paid $419.53 for repair on my 2004 Bmw 3 series for tail lamp connections and grounds. I understand that this defect is under investigation in number ea09-019. Please include me and inform me when I can submit paid bill, as I was terrified while driving in fl on turnpike when a light on my dashboard showed my rear brakes were failing. I immediately found fields Bmw jin winter park fl and brought it there. They were aware of defect and told me that their fix would include grounding other rear brake light to prevent other side from failure. Thank you”

NHTSA complaint #10381256, filed 2011-02, 50,790 miles

“In 2004, the air conditioner compressor burned up. A second time, in 2008, it failed. A third time, in 2010, a fireball exploded from under the trunk. Again, the air conditioner compressor had failed, after we received it from the dealer's service shop.”

NHTSA complaint #10462401, filed 2012-06, 8,000 miles

“The vehicle came equipped from the factory with bi-xenon auto leveling headlights manufactured by zkw. The past couple months, the light output has steadily decreased. Looking at it further, brown scorch marks are visible in the projector when the headlight is on. On the driver's side, there is also distortion in the upper half of the projector which looks almost as if the top half of the projector has melted and distorted. The light output from the projectors has been reduced to a thin beam of light right below the cutoff, with the driver's side being worse than the passenger. …”

NHTSA complaint #10449159, filed 2012-02, 60,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2004 Bmw 325I. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the engine stalled without prior warning. The engine restarted and the vehicle resumed; however within five miles the failure recurred. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an authorized dealer. The technician stated that the engine exhibited a crack. The vehicle may possibly be repaired for the defect. In 2007, the engine was leaking a significant amount of oil and an unknown repair was performed by the dealer. …”

NHTSA complaint #10462419, filed 2012-06, 50,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Equipment: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
200610%
200443%
200311%
200211%
200153%
1993314%
199225%

Other parts of the 2004 BMW 325I

Air bags
62 complaints
Exterior lighting
44 complaints
Electrical system
21 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
10 complaints
Brakes
6 complaints
Engine
6 complaints
Latches, locks and linkages
5 complaints
Fuel system
4 complaints
Body and structure
4 complaints
Other or unknown
3 complaints
Seats
3 complaints
Steering
3 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2004 BMW 325I

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology