2006 BMW 525I — Owner-Reported Problems
Verdict & Safety Summary
- Crashes 0
- Fires 4
- Injuries 1
- Deaths 0
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Component Problem Distribution
Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)
UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 36 | 48.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 11 | 14.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| ENGINE | 5 | 6.7% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 5 | 6.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 4 | 5.3% | 0 crashes · 2 fires |
| FUEL SYSTEM | 3 | 4.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| SEAT BELTS | 3 | 4.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| STEERING | 2 | 2.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| STRUCTURE | 1 | 1.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 13 | 17.3% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Problem & Recall Timeline
Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time
- Campaign 13V564000 was reported 739 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 17V428000 was reported 2,071 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 19V273000 was reported 2,724 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V564000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V428000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V273000 |
Safety Recalls (3)
Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 13V564000
- Report date
- Component:
- AIR BAGS
- Consequence:
- Should the system fail, in the event of a crash, the front passenger air bag would be deactivated, increasing the risk of personal injury.
- Remedy:
- BMW will notify owners with an interim notification letter in January 2014 since parts are not currently available. When parts are available, BMW sent a second letter in August and dealers will repair the occupant detection mat to eliminate the possibility that it may crack, free of charge. Additionally, owners of model year 2006-2007 3 Series with standard seats, 5 Series with comfort seats, and Z4 models, will receive an extended warranty on their front passenger seat occupant detection mat. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 17V428000
- Report date
- Component:
- AIR BAGS
- Consequence:
- Should the system fail, in the event of a crash, the front passenger air bag would be deactivated, increasing the risk of personal injury.
- Remedy:
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will repair the occupant detection mat to eliminate the possibility that it may crack, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began September 1, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 19V273000
- Report date
- Component:
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
- Consequence:
- An electrical short can cause the parts within the PCV valve to melt, increasing the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is not in use.
- Remedy:
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PCV valve heater, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall is an expansion to recall 17V-683.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Complaint Narrative Explorer
Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records
No complaints match the current filters.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.