NHTSA Data Explorer

BMW 525xi

Data refreshed May 30, 2026

Select a model year to filter results to that year of the BMW 525xi.

Complaints

543

Active records

Recalls

28

Active records

TSBs

268

Active records

Filing history

Monthly totals over the last 20 years. Click a legend item to show or hide that series.

Reported severity

Based on consumer complaints filed since 2000. Recalls and TSBs do not include severity data.

Deaths

0

Injuries

22

Crashes

29

Fires

31

Top reported issues — BMW 525xi

Click a category to expand its values.

Condition issue

133

Safety restraint issue

132

Operating state

128

Reporting mechanism

127

Performance issue

79

Engine behavior

64

Thermal issue

40

Fluid issue

29

Noise

29

Braking behavior

24

Electrical issue

24

Transmission/drivetrain behavior

23

Ride/handling behavior

22

Steering behavior

20

Vibration/harshness

19

Lighting behavior

15

Access/entry issue

14

Smell

13

Starting behavior

12

Infotainment behavior

11

Safety restraint behavior

11

Recent change

8

Driver assistance issue

6

Powering on/off behavior

6

HVAC behavior

3

Communication/network issue

2

Wiper/washer behavior

2

Recent filings

The 10 most recent filings for each type.

2008 BMW 5 SERIES

Filed Nov 5, 2025


My vehicle had a faulty PCV valve that was under Stop Drive, order. I received no correspondence from the NHTSA nor from BMW of North America in regards to this. My BMW X-5 had significant issues that are directly associated with this issue. After contacting BMW of North America directly because I could not reach anyone at my nearest BMW Service Department, it was escalated twice to attempt to arrange for my vehicle that I unknowingly continued to drive. My vehicle has sat undriven since May…

2007 BMW 525XI

Filed Oct 16, 2024


battery problems, was supposedly recalled for it and now the car is dying and the alarm is going off in my driveway at 10:30pm after being off for hours. the alarm doesn’t turn off with the fob or if key is in ignition, i need to remove the battery panel find a ratchet and remove one of the battery terminals while my alarm is simultaneously going off for long period over and over and over.

2006 BMW 525XI

Filed Mar 29, 2023


Fire

The contact owns a 2006 BMW 525xi. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the contact smelled the odor of burning coming from the vehicle, and the contact noticed smoke coming from the trunk of the vehicle. The contact pulled over and notice that smoking was coming from the battery. The contact was able to stop the smoke. The vehicle would not restart, and the vehicle was towed to the contact's home. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted.…

2011 BMW 5 SERIES

Filed Mar 21, 2023


The contact owns a 2011 BMW 5 Series. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed as a camshaft failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number- 14V176000 ( Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,000. The VIN was not available.

2006 BMW 525XI

Filed Mar 4, 2023


PCV issue UNKNOWN

2006 BMW 525XI

Filed May 9, 2022


The engine overheated on January 27, 2022 and a warning appeared on the dash to pull over and turn off the engine. It was then towed to a repair facility, where it was determined that overheating caused the failure of radiater hoses, loss of coolant, and other damages. Repairs cost $2574.56 on January 29, 2022. When I contacted BMW and the dealer, I was told that did not want to hear about it until they have determined what remedy was available for the recall, and they told me they would…

2006 BMW 525XI

Filed May 2, 2022


The contact owns a 2006 BMW 525XI. The contact stated that the vehicle was overheating while driving. The coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the thermostat and radiator were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the computer needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign…

2006 BMW 525XI

Filed Jan 12, 2022


Fire

Driver side Seat mysteriously burned. Not sure how. Seat warmers were not on at the time.

2007 BMW 525XI

Filed Sep 14, 2021


My car is seeing error lights for the passenger restraint system, and the dealer informed me that I should replace the OC3 mat at a cost of $2021. I see that this part is covered under recall for some similar age 525xi models, so I am unclear why this problem doesn't extend to my vehicle if this is a common problem with these models. Is this under evaluation for a possible future recall?

2012 BMW 5 SERIES

Filed Jul 14, 2019


I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON A ROAD WHEN A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I PARKED THE CAR HOME, SINCE I WAS CLOSE TO HOME. THE SAME WEEK I TOOK THE CAR TO A BMW SPECIALIST BECAUSE THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. AFTER $467.00 SPENT ON LABOR, JUST TO TELL ME I NEED A NEW ENGINE. THIS CAR HAS 72K MILES. THIS IS A CAR THAT I ONLY DROVE ON WEEKENDS AND NOT EVERY WEEKEND. THE CAR IS NOW PARKED IN MY GARAGE BECAUSE TO REPAIR IT IT WILL COST ME $11K. I HAVE HEARD THIS COMPLAINT FROM SEVERAL BMW OWNERS.…

Data sourced from NHTSA's public datasets. Issue classifications are generated by Repair Surge. About this data.

Updated May 30, 2026. Refreshed nightly.