2003 BMW 525I Air bags Problems
- Complaints
- 10about this part
- Share
- 31%of 32 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 61,500miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 10 complaints about the air bags of the 2003 BMW 525I, 31% of the 32 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 61,500 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers. 2 recall campaigns on record are filed under a similar system.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“The contact owns a 2003 Bmw 525I. The contact stated that while starting the ignition the air bag warning light illuminated until the engine was turned off. The failure recurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10693622, filed 2015-03, 20,000 miles“The contact owns a 2003 Bmw 525I. While driving 40 MPH, the driver veered and crashed into a curb. The driver side air bags failed to deploy, the passenger side door air bag deployed, but the passenger side head liner air bag did not fully deploy. The air bag warning light illuminated. There were no injuries. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the air bags needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the vehicle was inspected by an engineer from the manufacturer who stated that the air bags worked as intended. …”
NHTSA complaint #10760750, filed 2015-09, 150,000 miles“Takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 Bmw 525I. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v318000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.”
NHTSA complaint #10825114, filed 2016-02“Takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 Bmw 525I. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v318000 (air bags) and stated that the part was not available within a reasonable time frame to schedule the recall repair. The dealer did not give a specific date for when the part would become available. The contact was not experiencing a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. Updated 05/11/16”
NHTSA complaint #10852953, filed 2016-04“The contact owns a 2003 Bmw 525I. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the front and rear air bags on the driver side suddenly deployed. The contact noticed that the hazard lights blinked and the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel after the failure. The contact pulled over and shut the vehicle off. The driver sustained injuries. A police report was made. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer but the failure could not be diagnosed. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000 and the current mileage is approximately 59,000. …”
NHTSA complaint #10367057, filed 2010-11, 58,000 milesRelated recalls
- 19V015000Jan 14, 2019DO NOT DRIVEBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2000-2003 525i Sedan, 530i Sedan, 540i Sedan, 2001-2003 525i Sports Wagon and 540i Sports…Covers: BMW 525I 2000–2003, X5 SAV 2000–2004, 540I 2000–2003 +1 more
- 15V318000May 28, 2015DO NOT DRIVEBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i, and 330xi Sedans, and 325xi and 325i Sportswagons, 2002-2006…Covers: BMW 525I 2002–2003, M3 2002–2006, 330CI 2002–2006 +9 more
Related service bulletins
- 10160287Apr 1, 2019TAKATA AIR BAG RECALL-RELATED SHORT-TERM ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION AND CONSEQUENTIAL REPAIRS This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B01 31 18 dated October 2018.
- 10160244Apr 1, 2019TAKATA AIR BAG RECALL-RELATED SHORT-TERM ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION AND CONSEQUENTIAL REPAIRS This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B01 31 18 dated October 2018.
- 10153726Jan 1, 2019Takata class action settlement. Customer support program. Front driver side airbag modules.
- 10149557Oct 1, 2018For the above-referenced vehicles with driver?s side airbag modules, BMW of North America, LLC (?BMW NA?) will provide a Customer Support Program as outlined in the Takata…
- 10154816Feb 1, 2018In an effort to improve the completion rate on Takata air bag recall affected vehicles; BMW NA has expanded the BMW Ultimate Rewards platform to include a new Recall Support…
Air bags: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 25 | 35% |
| 2006 | 44 | 57% |
| 2005 | 22 | 63% |
| 2004 | 33 | 39% |
| 2003 | 10 | 31% |
| 2002 | 9 | 31% |
| 2001 | 4 | 18% |
| 1995 | 1 | 4% |
| 1992 | 5 | 28% |
| 1991 | 2 | 15% |
| 1990 | 2 | 18% |
Other parts of the 2003 BMW 525I
8 complaintsExterior lighting
4 complaintsSeats
3 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaintsSeat belts
2 complaintsVehicle speed control
2 complaintsBrakes
1 complaintsEngine cooling
1 complaintsEquipment
1 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
1 complaintsOther or unknown
1 complaintsSteering
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 BMW 525I
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology