2004 Bmw E46 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Visibility/Wiper (1) · Exterior Lighting (1) · Electrical System (1)
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year (campaigns announced since 2010).
Service bulletins (7)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Electrical System 2024-01-11 · B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the electrical system of bmw vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. this has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. this document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle ã¢ââdischarged batteryã¢ââ complaints.
Equipment 2023-11-13 · B000706 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
when using the key reader to retrieve information from the customerãâ¢ãâãâs key, the data is not updated or current.
Exterior Lighting:headlights:concealment Devices 2021-06-01 · B630516 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
moisture is visible on the inside of one or both headlights
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility 2020-10-01 · B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
discharged battery energy diagnosis must be performed: the electrical system of bmw vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. this has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. this document covers important information for the dealer on how to
Exterior Lighting 2010-08-01 · SIB-63-02-01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
bmw: procedure for determining and replacing incandescent and halogen light bulbs under warranty. *rm
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump 2009-12-01 · SIB-16-02-09 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
bmw vehicles: fuel level sensor repairs. where it is necessary to replace the right or the left side fuel level sensor due to a failure, the entire pump and housing or delivery unit (suction jet assembly) do not need to be replaced as well. in some cases, epc does not show that the repair kit is
Showing the 6 most recent of 7 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2016-06-10 · Air Bags · 131,000 mi“airbag deployed when hitting pot hole at around 30mph. this is an issue with many e46's that the airbag is too sensitive.…”
2012-05-31 · Visibility/Wiper · 190,000 mi“bonjour, les rflecteurs zkw de mes feux xnon sont bruls. mes feux n'clairent plus. *tr…”
2012-02-16 · Exterior Lighting · 77,000 mi“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 so…”
2012-01-17 · Electrical System · 80,000 mi“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 …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.