2005 BMW 645CI problems & reliability
33 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2005 BMW 645CI. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2005 BMW 645CI vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 0 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags → | 10 | 30% |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 15% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 12% |
| Seats | 4 | 12% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 12% |
| Engine | 3 | 9% |
| Steering | 3 | 9% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 6% |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 6% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 16 reported components →Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 22 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 74,115 miles (middle 50% between 65,425 and 97,884 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2005 BMW 645CI. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the independent mechanic for the front driver’s side bulb replacement, the mechanic informed the contact that the headlight wires were brittle and burnt. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to buy new…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Jun 3, 2021
“Tl* the contact owns a 2005 bmw 645ci. The contact stated that an unknown fluid was leaking from engine compartment. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing the vacuum pump to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Feb 11, 2021
“I placed an item in the front passenger side seat without fastening the seatbelt and the airbag light came on and stayed on... This is the first time this has ever happened. The car was stationary but the engin was running.”
Seat Belts · filed Nov 16, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
47 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2005 BMW 645CI. The 10 most recent:
The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
B510819 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2024
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…
B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 11, 2024
Diagnosis of Compound Brake System Complaints in M Vehicles: 1. Visible cracks are caused by high thermal stresses during rapid heating and cooling of the brake discs. Braking from high speed with cold brake components…
B340414 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2021
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…
B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2020
Class action lawsuit settlement: 6 series (e64) convertible top function and operational issues. Information bulletin provides the dcsnet claim submission information.
B012417 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2018
NAVIGATION SYSTEM: REPORTING MISSING OR INCORRECT ROAD MAP DATA: The route guidance is inaccurate and therefore irritating to the customer; or it is not possible to locate certain addresses, for instance:
B650709 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2018
NAVIGATION SYSTEM: REPORTING MISSING OR INCORRECT ROAD MAP DATA: The route guidance is inaccurate and therefore irritating to the customer; or it is not possible to locate certain addresses, for instance:
B650709 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2018
SERVICE ACTION REPLACE SUN VISORS. During production; incorrect sun visors were installed which do not conform to airbag label requirements.
B510419 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2018
Diagnosing Stored Fault Codes to Help Avoid Repeat Repair Visits This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B07 03 14 dated October 2015.. Fault codes stored in vehicles being serviced are not being diagnosed…
B070314 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2016
Bluetooth Connection Failures. There are various connectivity failures with the following devices: Apple iPhones Samsung S6 and the S6 Edge. Connectivity failure examples are: Call disconnection - Call is transferred…
B840314 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2016
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2005 BMW 645CI in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2005 BMW 645CI?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 74,115 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.