"How reliable is the 2004 Bmw 325Ci?"

"Based on 76 NHTSA complaints, the 2004 Bmw 325Ci has a median complaint mileage of 80000 miles. The most common issue is AIR BAGS."

"What are common problems with the 2004 Bmw 325Ci?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2004 Bmw 325Ci is AIR BAGS, accounting for a significant portion of the 76 total complaints filed."

2004 Bmw 325Ci: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 76 complaints

Total Complaints

80,000mi

Median Mileage

AIR BAGS

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

44,000 25th Percentile

80,000 Median Mileage

100,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

AIR BAGS

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

SEATS

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

VISIBILITY

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"PETITION FOR DEFECT INVESTIGATION OF THE 2004 BMW 325XI DUE TO HESITATION IN SHIFTING OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION ESPECIALLY WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER A FULL STOP. *MR WHEN THE CONSUMER SHIFTED FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE IT EXPERIENCED DELAYS OF FROM ONE HALF MINUTE TO TWO M..."

"THE STEPTRONIC TRANSMISSION WILL NOT ENGAUGE IN "D" FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT. BMW REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AT 1100 MILES AND AT 300 MILES THE "NEW" TRANSMISSION IS DOING THE SAME THING. THE CAR GOES IN "R" AND POTENTIALLY COULD LEAVE YOU IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO MOVE O..."

"COLD MORNING START THE VEHICLE REVS TO 2 -3K RPMS WITH LITTLE OR NO FORWARD MOTION. DRIVE IS NOT ENGAGING. PULLING OUT IN TRAFFIC WAS TERRIFYING. DEALER OFFERED SEVERAL REASONS: 1) NEEDED TO BE BROKEN IN 2) NEEDS A SOFTWARE UPGRADE 3) NEEDS A CLUTCH PACK PART AND FINALLY 4) NEEDS A NEW TRAN..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28