2003 BMW 745LI Complaints

MY VEHICLE IS A 2003 BMW 745LI THAT HAS AN DRIVE SYSTEM AND THE LATEST WARNING NOTE CAME UP ON THE IDRIVE SCREEN THAT SAYS, "FAULT IN PASS.-RESTRAINT SYSTEM AFFECTING AIRBAG, BELT TENSIONER OR BELT-FORCE LIMITER. FASTEN AND CONTINUE TO WEAR BELTS. PLEASE CONTACT THE NEAREST BMW CENTER". *TR

I PURCHASED A 2003 745LI NOVEMBER 2007 WHEN COMING TO A STOP THERE IS A CLUNKING NOISE WITH HARSH DOWNSHIFT. TOOK CAR DEALERSHIP ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITH CONCERN AND AFTER SEVERAL FAILED ATTEMPTS TO REMEDY THE ISSUE WAS FINALLY MADE AWARE THAT THERE WAS SERVICE BULLETIN CONCERNING TRANSMISSION ISSUE. DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS POSSIBLY FROM TRANSMISSION AND ADVISED ME TO COME BACK FOR REPAIRS. IN NOVEMBER 2008 WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAD TO GET THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE CLUNKING WITH HARSH DOWNSHIFT. THIS ISSUE RETURNED AND PROGRESSED AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME DUE TO SAME ISSUE 08-2009. AFTER SECOND TRANSMISSION INSTALLED ISSUE STILL EXISTED AND WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A SOFTWARE ISSUE WITH TRANSMISSION AND THAT THERE WAS NOT ANY OTHER UPDATES AT THIS TIME AND THE INFORMATION WOULD BE FORWARDED FOR BMW FOR ANALYSIS. THE UNIVERSAL /GUIBO HAS BEEN REPLACED 3-4 TIMES SINCE I'VE HAD THE CAR BECAUSE OF CLUNKING NOISE HARSH DOWNSHIFTING. AS TIME WENT ON AROUND MAY 2011 THERE WAS AN INCIDENT WHERE AS I WAS DRIVING, APPROACHING AND COMING TO A STOP AT A STOP SIGN, IN ADDITION TO THE HARSH CLUNKING THE CAR JERKED AND ACCELERATED FORWARD ALMOST INTO ONGOING TRAFFIC. TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY MENTIONED THE SERVICE BULLETIN AGAIN CONCERNING THE ISSUE STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION MIGHT NEED TO BE REPLACED. THEY FIRST REPLACED THE UNIVERSAL/GUIBO, WHICH I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET AND THE ISSUE STILL EXISTS. THE INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED IN MAY 2011 HAPPENED AGAIN FOR THE SECOND TIME IN NOV. 2011. I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SOME MAJOR ISSUES WITH TRANSMISSION AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. SINCE THEN I'VE BEEN HAVING, BRAKE/DRIVE MALFUNCTION AMONG OTHER ISSUES. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE SAFETY CONCERN. THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED. *TR

11/09 DRIVERSIDE WINDOW REGULATOR REPLACED;CONSTANTLY REPLACING DRIVER SIDE TURN SIGNAL BULB; IN APPROX. MARCH 2010 CAR WOULD RANDOMLY NOT GO INTO REVERSE AND WHEN I WAS ABLE TO GET IT INTO DRIVE CAR WOULD FEEL SLUGGISH OR WHEN COMING TO A STOP FELT AS IF I WAS HIT FROM BEHIND OR CAR WOULD GO INTO FAILSAFE MODE AND I WOULD BE UNABLE TO ACCELERATE, HAD DIAGNOSED BY BMW WAS TOLD 10K+ TO HAVE TRANNY REPLACED ; FOUND A REBUILT TRANNY AND REPLACED IN APPROX. MAY 2010; HERE WE ARE IN AUGUST 2011 AND CAR AGAIN BEGAN TO NOT GO INTO REVERSE AND GIVE A FAILSAFE NOTIFICATION; ATTEMPTED TO START CAR TODAY 8/8 TO TAKE TO SHOP; HOWEVER CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE AND WHEN IT FINALLY INDICATED IT WAS IN REVERSE; ACTUALLY WENT FORWARD BEGAN TO MAKE A WEIRD GRINDING NOISE SO I TURNED IT OFF AND THERE IT SITS IN MY DRIVEWAY LEAKING WHAT I PRESUME TO BE TRANSMISSION FLUID UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. CURRENT MILEAGE 133K

03 745LI IN FOR SERVICE REGARDING "SERVICE ENGINE" ; WHEN CAR WAS READY WE PICKED IT UP AND THE PARK BRAKE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THEY RESET IT AND I LEFT. 2 HRS LATER LIGHT RETURNED. NOW THEY SAY PARKING BRAKE/ACTUATOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED OVER $1000.00. *TR

THERE IS A TUBE IN ENGINE THAT IS SECURED WITH TWO O RINGS. THE TUBE HOLDS COOLANT. IF THE O RINGS FAIL, THEN THE COOLANT LEAKS AND THE ENGINE WILL OVERHEAT. THERE ARE MULTIPLE CASES OF THIS DOCUMENTED ON THE INTERNET AND IT HAS OCCURRED IN MY VEHICLE. SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES HAVE INDICATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT THEY SEE ON 745'S ENGINES MADE BEFORE 2006. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 745LI. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAD BEEN ILLUMINATING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FOR A FEW MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER ALSO INFORMED THE CONTACT THEY WERE NOT SURE THE AIR BAGS WOULD DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 117,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 745LI. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING RECURRING FAILURES IN WHICH THE DASHBOARD WOULD DISPLAY AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION MESSAGE BEFORE STALLING. THE FAILURES OCCURRED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. AFTER THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WOULD BE PULLED OVER AND RESTARTED. AFTER SOME OF THE FAILURES THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V240000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,580.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 745LI. THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V446000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE NECK WAS SEPARATING FROM THE VACUUM PUMP WHICH CAUSED A LEAK. THE ADDITIONAL REPAIRS WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND THE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COSTS. THE REPAIRS UNDER THE RECALL WERE MADE BUT NONE OF THE ADDITIONAL REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 745LI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE, NOT LISTED ON THE NHTSA SITE, IN REFERENCE TO THE PIPING AND BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER. THE RECALL NOTICE STATED THAT THE DEALER WAS TO REPLACE THE BRAKE VACUUM PUMP BUT THEY DID NOT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND ALL OTHER COMPONENTS EXCEPT FOR THE BRAKE VACUUM PUMP WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,800.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 745LI. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40-45 MPH, THE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO SENT HIM A RECALL NOTICE FOR RECALL 10V446000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC: POWER ASSIST: VACUUM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THEY WOULD PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR BUT A PUMP ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WHICH WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL REPAIR. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 153,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.