There are 15 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 2004 BMW 7 Seriesin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2004 BMW 745LI. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's side air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V379000 (Seats) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 198,000.
I HAVE BEEN GETTING THIS ERROR IN MY IDRIVE SYSTEM: "FAULT IN PASSIVE RESTRAINT SYSTEM AFFECTING AIRBAG, BELT TENSIONER OR BELT-FORCE LIMITER. FASTEN AND CONTINUE TO WEAR BELTS. PLEASE CONTACT THE NEAREST BMW CENTER."
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 745LI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT MAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 BMW 745I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN UNUSUALLY LOUD NOISE AND THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE EXPLODED INTO FLAMES. THE CONTACT'S CLOTHES CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED IN FRONT OF A FIRE STATION WHERE THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A TOW YARD. BOTH FIRE AND POLICE REPORTS WERE FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, BUT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. WHEN NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT, THE MANUFACTURER STATED THE EXPLOSION COULD HAVE BEEN FROM THE AIR BAGS; HOWEVER, BMW DID NOT USE TAKATA AIR BAGS. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 760I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V384000 (AIRBAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS TO BE TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION, DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,250.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 745I. AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT BOTH SEAT MAT SENSORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.
THE WARNING LIGHT FOR THE SEAT BELT AND AIRBAG CAME ON AND THE TENSION IN THE SEAT BELT IS NON-EXISTENT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A BMW 745 LI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT NEEDED TO BE RESET. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
THE VEHICLE AIR BAG SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK DUE TO A DEFECTIVE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR. IT IS A DOCUMENTED ISSUE WITH BMW AND THEY ARE DENYING COVERAGE FOR MY PARTICULAR VIN
ON THE DASH BOARD THE LOUD WARNING LIGHT COMES ON: DRIVER RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAULT AND PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAULT. I KNOW THAT SEVERAL 2002-2008 BMW 7-SERIES GOT RECALLED REGARDING THE SAME ISSUE AND MANUFACTURE OFFERED 10 YEAR WARRANTY FROM IN SERVICE DATE REGARDING THIS ISSUE. MINE IS A 2004 745LI AND SHOULD BE ONE OF THE RECALLED ONE. CALLED THE MANUFACTURE AND THEY SAD THE VIN NUMBER THAT MY CAR HAS NEVER HAVE BEEN RECALLED WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS ON AND I THINK THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. IS A SHAME TO SPEND SO MUCH MONEY FOR THIS VEHICLES AND THEY CAN'T OFFER A SAFE DRIVE. THANKS *TR
WE WERE DRIVING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM LIGHTS AND MESSAGE CAME ON. I HAD THE CAR DIAGNOSED BY MY LOCAL BMW DEALER WHO PIN POINTED THE PROBLEM TO THE STEERING ANGLE SENSOR. I AM NOT SURE HOW THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE STEERING COLUMN. THE FAULT IS CURRENTLY COVERED UNDER A TEN WARRANTY AND I AM NOT SURE WHY THE BMW DEALER WOULD TELL ME THE PROBLEM WAS ELSE WHERE WITH A PRICE TAG OF A 1K PROBLEM. I NEED TO KNOW FROM BMW NORTH AMERICA HOW IS THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM TIED TO THE STEERING ANGLE SENSOR. I WAS TOLD EVERYTHING RUNS THROUGH THIS SENSOR. *TT
OWNER OF '04 745I AS OF 4/8/11. LAST MONTH RECEIVED NOTICE STATING "DEFAULT IN DRIVER RESTRAINT SYSTEM & AIRBAG ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY & MESSAGE STATING AIRBAG MAY NOT OPERATE." TOOK A TRIP TO MISSOURI LAST WK & RECEIVED A NOTICE THAT THERE'S A FAULT IN PASS RESTRAINT SYSTEM, RED ILLUMINATED LIGHT, AIRBAG MAY NOT OPERATE." BMW STATED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO HOOK IT UP TO A MACHINE ($225) TO READ THE CODE AND THAT IT MAY BE FROM PEOPLE MOVING AROUND IN THE SEAT AND THAT AFTER RETRIEVING THE CODE, THE LABOR & PARTS COULD RANGE FROM $250-$3000. *TT
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 745LI. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG DRIVER RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAULT LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT IT MIGHT BE A PROBLEM WITH THE SENSOR AND AN APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 745LI. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN A FEW MONTHS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT A SOFTWARE UPGRADE WAS NEEDED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 65,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,000.
SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE OF A USED 2004 BMW 745LI, THE AIRBAG LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND THE PASSENGER OCCUPANCY LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED AT ALL TIMES. CAR WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION, THEREFORE I PAID $1700 TO BMW OF SILVER SPRING TO HAVE THIS CORRECTED. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026