FaultScore

Worst years for a BMW 525I

Owners have filed 663 complaints about the BMW 525I with NHTSA across model years 1989 to 2009. More of them are about the airbags than anything else.

Avoid

2004 BMW 525I

123 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly airbags.

Cleanest on record

1994 BMW 525I

10 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every BMW 525I year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2009 1 0 1 Electrical System
2008 1 0 0 Engine & Cooling
2007 C 98 3 4 75,000 Airbags
2006 C 111 0 7 99,500 Airbags
2005 C 52 0 6 92,200 Airbags
2004 F 123 0 25 89,627 Airbags
2003 C 40 3 2 45,000 Airbags
2002 B 41 0 2 48,000 Airbags
2001 C 31 3 9 94,495 Engine & Cooling
1999 1 0 0 Body & Structure
1998 2 0 0 Brakes
1995 A 37 1 1 129,906 Doors, Latches & Locks
1994 A 10 0 0 Engine & Cooling
1993 9 0 4 Engine & Cooling
1992 30 4 2 122,500 Engine & Cooling
1991 21 0 0 Engine & Cooling
1990 51 1 0 Engine & Cooling
1989 4 0 0 Windows, Mirrors & Wipers

What breaks on a BMW 525I

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Airbags 168 25.3%

Worst in 2006

Worst in 2004

Engine & Cooling 79 11.9%

Worst in 1990

Seats 45 6.8%

Worst in 2004

Seat Belts 43 6.5%

Worst in 2004

Worst in 2004

Brakes 32 4.8%

Worst in 2006

Lights 25 3.8%

Worst in 1990

Body & Structure 24 3.6%

Worst in 2002

Steering 23 3.5%

Worst in 2007

Other & Unspecified 22 3.3%

Worst in 2007

Acceleration & Cruise Control 16 2.4%

Worst in 2004

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 15 2.3%

Worst in 1995

Fuel & Propulsion 13 2.0%

Worst in 1992

Exactly what failed on a BMW 525I

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Cooling System 24 22.6%
Frontal 22 20.8%
Body 10 9.4%
Automatic Transmission 10 9.4%
Radiator Assembly 10 9.4%
Door 8 7.5%
Latch 6 5.7%
Engine 6 5.7%
Occupant Classification 5 4.7%
Seat Heater/Cooler 5 4.7%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every BMW 525I, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Dec 1996 peak 17 Mar 2026

BMW 525I problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the BMW 525I

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.