Two problems related to engine oil leaking have been reported for the 2004 BMW 545. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
On BMW with the n62 4. 4l v8 engine there's an oil leak on the alternator bracket that leaks for a while until it is inspected and found it leaks oil on the steering components I think causing the steering components to deteriorate after a while causing a safety issue. The oil leak eventually happens to all n62 4. 4l v8 engines.
Vehicle slips in an out of 5th and 6th gear when traveling at constant 35 to 40 mph in auto mode and around 60 mph in ds mode. Noticeable oil leaks as well as occasional smoke from tailpipe and vehicle bangs into gear ( while downshifting on occasion) also noticed that the electrical system seems to cut out for a split second while driving. Heads up display and radio illustrates this finding as they shut off for a second. The clock is also behind a few minutes / week because of this.