BMW 525XI Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 48 consumer complaints across the 2 model years of the BMW 525XI (2006–2007) that have at least 5 complaints. 2006 has the most, with 28. Across all years, the part named most often is air bags (21 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All 525XI model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 20 | 81,500 | 1 | 58 | — | Stable |
| 2006 | 28 | 121,000 | 3 | 54 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Air bags21 37%
- Electrical system9 16%
- Engine6 11%
- Brakes6 11%
- Steering5 8.8%
- Seats4 7.0%
- Seat belts3 5.3%
- Engine cooling3 5.3%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2006: “My Bmw was parked outside a restaurant in overland park, ks, at lunch time on march 7, 2017. Auto was locked and all windows and skylight were closed. When I returned to my car after lunch, the car was unlocked and all windows and skylight were open. The key was in my purse and was untouched. Possible theft attempt?”
NHTSA complaint #10959991, filed 2017-03, 150,000 miles2007: “I was traveling approximately 40 MPH on a city causeway. I went to apply the brakes for a red light and had none. The pedal was very stiff and had no hydraulic assist. I pushed the pedal as hard as I could and downshifted, finally stopping about 8 feet into the intersection. The car acted fine all morning up to that point. I had no warning light or anything to alert me to the failure. I have since found out that Bmw issued a recall for this very issue on the v8 engine but not for the i6 engine which I have.”
NHTSA complaint #10703729, filed 2015-04, 108,000 milesOther BMW models
3,165 complaintsBMW 328I
2,576 complaintsBMW X3
2,016 complaintsBMW 325I
1,377 complaintsBMW Z4
1,271 complaintsBMW 3 Series
832 complaintsBMW 528I
830 complaintsBMW 330I
813 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology