"How reliable is the 2004 Bmw 545I?"

"Based on 77 NHTSA complaints, the 2004 Bmw 545I has a median complaint mileage of 101565 miles. The most common issue is AIR BAGS."

"What are common problems with the 2004 Bmw 545I?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2004 Bmw 545I is AIR BAGS, accounting for a significant portion of the 77 total complaints filed."

2004 Bmw 545I: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 77 complaints

Total Complaints

101,565mi

Median Mileage

AIR BAGS

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

75,500 25th Percentile

101,565 Median Mileage

123,760 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

AIR BAGS

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ENGINE

POWER TRAIN

SEAT BELTS

STEERING

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

SERVICE BRAKES

SEATS

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 540 FIVE I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT OIL WAS LEAKING INTO THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V446000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM). AFTER REPAIRS, OIL CONTINUED TO LEAK INTO THE BRAKES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTE..."

"ENGINE STALLING WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, UNABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE AFTER THE STALL. LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKE POWER ASSIST WHEN VEHICLE STALLS WHILE DRIVING. ENGINE STALLS VERY PERIODICALLY AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF OPERATION. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER 3 TIMES AND WERE UNABLE TO PINPOINT THE PROBLEM..."

"THE BATTERY DIED SO I GOT A NEW ONE. AFTER REINSTALLING IT, ALL THE DASH LIGHTS CAME ON. THE ACTIVE STEERING CAME ON ALSO. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR OFF THE LOT, I REALIZED MY STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED TO THE LEFT BUT I WAS GOING STRAIGHT. NOW I CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX THIS ISSUE. *JS"

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