BMW 525
Owners filed 68 complaints across 10 model years of the BMW 525. The 1995 drew the most (15).
Which BMW 525 years should you avoid?
Not enough of the record to single a year out. Fewer than 4 BMW 525 model years have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to judge, so any ranking would be noise. The table below has every year as filed.
How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →
Every BMW 525 model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Do not drive | |
| 2001 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Fan | Do not drive | |
| 1998 | 2 | 0 | — | — | Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System | Routine | |
| 1997 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | Wheels | Routine | |
| 1995 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 5 | Air Bags › Frontal | Routine | |
| 1994 | 8 | 0 | — | — | Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch | Routine | |
| 1993 | 3 | 1 | — | — | Vehicle Speed Control | Routine | |
| 1992 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 3 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Routine | |
| 1991 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 3 | Vehicle Speed Control | Routine | |
| 1990 | 7 | 2 | — | 1 | Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly | Routine |
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.