Factual error: During the fight scene with Sandman in the armored car, the Terminal Tower can be seen in the background, which is a landmark in Cleveland, Ohio (where the scene was shot), not in New York City.
Factual error: When Chigurh is in the gas station and throws the wrapper on the counter, the "Nutrition Facts" are visible on the label. Set in 1980, the "Nutrition Facts" label wouldn't have been available for at least another fourteen years, as nutrition labels were started in 1994.
Factual error: When Swagger is fleeing from the police in the car wash after being shot, the radio says that he is at a car wash at 9th and Girard. There is no such intersection. On Girard Ave, 9th street picks up south and north of that street.
Factual error: Ben, Abigail and Riley arrive at the Library of Congress to take the President's Book very late at night. However the Library of Congress, despite being shown as open, consistently closes at 5 PM.
Factual error: In the final standoff, Smith shoots Hertz by holding cartridges between his fingers in the fire. This is not remotely believable. The casings, weighing much less than the bullets, would have been blasted off while the bullets themselves would have gone nowhere. (01:15:15)
Factual error: If you pay attention to the backgrounds of the scene where Frank is in the airport and when Frank is being arrested as he walks from the church, you can see two cars pass by which weren't produced until at least 2000.
Factual error: The grenade Robert Neville uses at the end of the movie has a blue and brown colored lever. This feature is only used on the M69 practice grenade and not the real M67. The lethal grenade lever is completely green.
Factual error: During the chase with the semi, McClane is shown struggling to keep the truck under control with the freeway collapsing/blowing up all around him. He is shown making a left turn on a ramp, and the truck going up on 9 wheels, almost rolling. The shot cuts back to McClane steering left to to try to control the truck. If he were to steer left, as depicted, he would be guaranteed to roll the truck. If he was trying to get the wheels back down, he'd have to steer into the roll, or right, to bring it back on the wheels. At the end of the shot, you can actually see the stuntman brings the wheels down with a short right turn of the steering wheel. The similar entry in corrections is right, the person making the correction is wrong. During 15 years of driving a semi, I had a very similar situation with the truck almost rolling. I had to steer into the roll to bring the truck back on the wheels, not away from it, as the film showed McClane doing.
Factual error: The husband was killed in an explosion. There would be no body for a casket, much less a head full of hair.
Factual error: Mikaela hot wires the tow truck by twisting two conveniently exposed and very long wires together. Allowing that this could work at all in a modern vehicle, it can't steer until the ignition lock is turned or removed, neither of which she does. (01:55:55)
Factual error: Firearm issues abound throughout the film. The British detectives (who all seem to be armed, rather than a low proportion of AFO (Authorised Firearms Officers) as in real life) are shown carrying Beretta pistols, even though the Metropolitan Police issue the Glock 17. The SFO (Specialist Firearms Operations) officers are shown carrying MP5 submachineguns, which is accurate, but fitted with cheap toy-shop lasers. Weapons handling is poor throughout, with chickenwing syndrome particularly prevalent. Weapons carriage also appears geared to look "cool" rather than realistic; shoulder holsters - which practically everyone wears in this film - are rarely used for concealed carry in reality.
Factual error: In the scene when Kale uses the lamp, taking off its lamp-shade, to see what's inside the hole, he points it in there. The lamp, actually, shouldn't illuminate the wall in one point creating a circle like a flashlight but wholly lighten the larger area. (01:30:00)
Factual error: A SEAL team is sent in to Afghanistan; first they're referred to as "SEAL team Baker One", then a moment later they're "Ranger team Baker One". There's no part of that that isn't wrong. To make matters worse, the gear, weaponry and tactics they use are all wrong too as well as a single team being dispatched highly unlikely.
Factual error: At the end, you can see Kimberly hanging in the background. After being cut in half, I doubt your clothes would stay on. (01:26:00)
Factual error: There is a scene near the beginning of the movie when the mist has just begun. A firetruck roars by, and has Caddo Parish Fire Dept. on the side. This movie is set in Maine. Louisiana is the only state with parishes. All others, including Maine, have counties. (00:10:50)
Factual error: When the vampire throws the lit match on the oil it catches fire right away. Oil will only burn at a certain temperature no matter how many times you throw a lit match on it.
Factual error: There is a point where the children travel to their home to get some things. They travel to SOUTH London but as they near their home, look at Canary Wharf in the background! The positioning of the buildings show they are in the EAST towards Dagenham area.
Factual error: Hannibal makes a bomb using latex gloves that were not in use during the early 50's when the movie takes place. (01:28:35)
Factual error: There are a number of computers and gadgets shown which were not introduced in early 2002, i.e. HP LaserJet 1320 Printer at Asra's place, HP Color LaserJet shown at the consulate, Acer Notebook used in investigation, and the Nokia 1100 cellphone used by Captain.
Factual error: When Bourne is traveling to London on the Eurostar from Paris, immediately after the 'flashback' where Marie floats away after being killed, there are two helicopter shots of the Eurostar traveling to London. The second (far away) shot shows the train passing over a motorway. The train is actually traveling towards Paris, and therefore away from London. The motorway is the M20 and the bridge is approximately 3 miles west of junction 9 for Ashford (Kent). The train would have been 10 minutes away from entering the Channel Tunnel. (00:13:45)