1992 BMW 525

Routine

Owners filed 14 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train › automatic transmission. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Power Train › Automatic Transmission2
000
Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under Dash2
020
Visibility › Windshield1
000
Vehicle Speed Control1
101
Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly1
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch1
000
Parking Brake › Conventional1
100
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline1
010
Electrical System › Wiring1
000
Electrical System › Ignition1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings94V066000
Filed Apr 11, 1994116,300 vehiclesBayerische Motoren Werke

Defect. FEED FUEL HOSES CAN HARDEN AND "SET" OVER TIME, ALLOWING A SEEPAGE OF FUEL AT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE HOSE AND THE ENGINE FITTING. THE CLAMP USED TO HOLD THE HOSE TO THE FITTING IS UNABLE TO COMPENSATE FOR THE HARDENING OF THE FEED FUEL HOSE.

Risk. FUEL SEEPAGE BETWEEN THE FEED FUEL HOSE AND THE ENGINE FITTING CAN RESULT IN FREE FUEL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FIRE WHEN EXPOSED TO A SOURCE OF IGNITION.

Remedy. A REDESIGNED FEED FUEL HOSE AND HOSE CLAMP WILL BE INSTALLED TO ALLEVIATE THE FUEL SEEPAGE.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Parking Brake › ConventionalCrash
Filed Jun 6, 2001NC

IN MAY OF 1998 VEHICLE'S PARKING BRAKE FAILED AND ALLOWED VEHICLE TO ROLL ACROSS A PARKING LOT, STRIKING ANOTHER VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED APPROXIMATELY $2000.00 DAMAGE TO THE REAR END OF VEHICLE. THEN, IN MAY OF 2001, PARKING BRAKE FAILED AGAIN WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK, ALLOWING VEHICLE TO ROLL FORWARD INTO A TREE, CAUSING APPROXIMATELY $10,000.00 DAMAGE TO FRONT END. DEALERSHIP/MANUFACTURER WERE UNCOOPERATIVE IN HANDLING THIS PROBLEM. *AK THE VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF PARK INTO REVERSE OR NEUTRAL OWN IT OWN CAUSING ACCIDENT. *YH

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › GasolineFire
Filed Jul 22, 1999IL

THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 30 MPH SMELLED SMOKE AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER JUMPED OUT OF VEHICLE, AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME OUT TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. *AK

Electrical System › Wiring
Filed Apr 22, 1999CA

WIRES IN THE HATCHBACK ARE RUBBING TOGETHER WHICH CAUSES A SHORT, AND THE BACK DOOR WON'T OPEN. ALSO, ALL THE ELECTRICAL PARTS ARE WORKING INTERMITTENTLY, AND TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch
Filed Jul 1, 1998CA

GEAR SHIFTS WHILE THE ENGINE IS OFF AND THE CAR IS IN PARK, RESULTED IN A VEHICLE COLLISION.

Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery
Filed Jun 24, 1997DC

WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE DRIVER HEARD A LOUD NOISE, THERE WAS A SMELL OF SMOKE AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. MECHANIC STATED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO THE BATTERY EXPLODING. THE BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED. *AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash
Filed Feb 20, 1997FL

VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER GOING ABOUT 35 MPH AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG. THE WHOLE FRONT END WAS DAMAGED, NOT SEEN BY DEALER. *AK

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Dec 4, 1996CA

DOOR PILLAR TOO THICK ON THE DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S SIDES, OBSTRUCTING REAR VIEW, CAUSING A BLIND SPOT.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Oct 22, 1996CA

DURING VEHICLE OPERATION WHEN GOING FROM 4TH TO 3RD GEAR AT ABOUT 40-45 MPH, THE VEHICLE WILL AUTOMATICALLY DOWNSHIFT TO 1ST GEAR. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jul 8, 1996MD

THE AIR CONDITIONER IS NOT ENOUGH, TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AND BAD GAS FUMES IN THE CAR . PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK

Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under DashFire
Filed Mar 15, 1996MD

PURCHASED CAR NEW, CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND SMOKE STARTED TO COME FROM THE DASH, PULLED OVER AND CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly
Filed Nov 24, 1995FL

PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILURE, BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT LATCH PROPERLY. TT

Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under DashFire
Filed Jun 29, 1995CA

BRAKE LIGHT/CIRCUIT LIGHT CAME ON, 1 MIN AFTER LIGHT CAME ON NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE DASH NEAR THE STEERING AREA, RESULTING IN A FIRE. *AK.

Vehicle Speed ControlCrash1 injured
Filed Jan 26, 1995VA

SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BACK UP, CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT/INJURY. *SKD

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Jan 23, 1995MD

IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN WHEN KEY INSERTED. *SKD

14 of 14 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1995
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20020100Do not drive
20013110Do not drive
19982000Routine
19971000Routine
199515010Routine
19948000Routine
19933100Routine
1992 — this page14130Routine
199115220Routine
19907200Routine

Compare every 525 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Apr 11, 1994. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.