FaultScore

Ford Lariat vs BMW 525XI

Both cars' complete complaint records, side by side.

Read the totals carefully. NHTSA publishes no sales figures, so the car that sold more collects more complaints regardless of quality. The rows worth weighing are the proportions — the share of complaints that involved harm, and which part dominates.

Measure Ford Lariat BMW 525XI
Complaints on file 27 67
Model years covered 1988–2001 2006–2011
Worst model year
Best model year
Crashes reported 1 0
Fires reported 3 5
Injuries reported 1 0
Deaths reported 0 0
Most complained-about part Brakes Airbags
Share of complaints involving harm 18.5% 7.5%

Ford Lariat by year

88 97 98 99 00 01
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks

Brakes 5 18.5%
Engine & Cooling 3 11.1%
Acceleration & Cruise Control 3 11.1%
Tires 3 11.1%
Electrical System 2 7.4%
Body & Structure 2 7.4%
Fuel & Propulsion 2 7.4%
Steering 1 3.7%

BMW 525XI by year

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks

Airbags 23 34.3%
Engine & Cooling 9 13.4%
Electrical System 9 13.4%
Steering 6 9.0%
Brakes 6 9.0%
Seats 4 6.0%
Seat Belts 3 4.5%
Transmission & Drivetrain 1 1.5%