10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
92,727 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2005 BMW 525 electrical problems

electrical problem

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2005 BMW 525 Owner Comments

problem #7

Jan 012017

525

  • 80,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

There are 3 recalls reported for my year make and model of a car I just purchased that at giving me problems and I'm receiving warning messages on my navigation but my VIN is not registering with dealership for being eligible for resolution please reply back with steps to repair

- Vallejo, CA, USA

problem #6

Jan 012017

525

  • 140,000 miles
Front passenger seat occupancy sensor has failed. Rear left hand brake/backup light is problematic and intermittently works, usually only shows up on car's dashboard while in reverse, but sometimes will stay on-screen during driving. Front ashtray outlet/cigarette lighter doesn't work.

- Rock Hil, SC, USA

problem #5

Dec 122016

525

  • 114,000 miles
Sunroof drain clogged into trunk causing fire in battery compartment and spare tire area. Vehicle was stationary in shop after not being run for hours.

- Boston, MA, USA

problem #4

Jan 102016

525

  • 177,777 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

BMW I-drive cuts out while driving, and blinks or reboots. While driving home it cut out, and would not stop blinking. This distraction and malfunction is dangerous.

- Mason, OH, USA

problem #3

Apr 112015

525

  • 135,000 miles
On April 11, 2015. I was taking my vehicle to my mechanic to get it serviced after sitting all winter. As I was driving I noticed smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. I pulled over, could not locate the source. I continued to my mechanic. Once there we opened the trunk, we noticed and smelled something burning. We took out the tire and noticed water in the wheel well, which made an electrical component sparking, smoking and on fire. I had the vehicle towed to BMW. They stated the water damaged the micro power module. BMW paid for the repairs, and relocated the module away from the wheel well. I feel where it was placed previous was very dangerous. If I had any combustible item in my trunk my BMW would have fully caught fire. BMW should recall all vehicle and relocation any electrical components that can be damaged by water, possibly catch fire. This is very dangerous

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #2

Jul 012013

525 6-cyl

  • miles
Same issue as every other 2005 530I owner has had. My battery was low and needed replaced and after a new battery was purchased and installed the fault light came on the I-drive system for the airbag. BMW dealer refuses to do anything about it as my vehicle is not included in the recall.. I don't understand why when there are numerous complaints on a faulty system why this should not be repaired, obviously they know that the issue is there but do not want to spend the money to fix their issue. So much for the german engineered ultimate driving machine. With all of the technology comes all of the issues it would be nice to see a manufacturer stand behind their car for a change.......if I failed to make a payment they would have surely repossessed it......funny how we cannot get something from them when they fail.

- Clearwater, FL, USA

problem #1

Dec 012005

525 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 2,309 miles
On September 14, 2005 I purchased a new 2005 BMW 330I. While driving to work on December 1, 2005 I turned the heater on for the first time. The heater had only been on for a few minutes when I started to smell a burning type of odor. I was not sure if the odor was coming in from the outside or if it was inside my car. The odor became stronger and resembled that of an electrical burn. I then observed white smoke coming out from the hood of my car. Within minutes the smoke became gray. At this point I was in heavy early morning traffic. I was in the middle lane which was slowing down/stopping for a traffic light. As I came to a stop the smoke was turning black and was very thick. I put the vehicle into park and turned off the engine. By this point visibility to my front was obscured by the smoke. I knew that I should exit the car. I began opening the driver's door but the cars were moving quickly and I feared being hit. I made several attempts while simultaneously hitting the BMW assist button on the rear view mirror. I told the operator that my car was on fire, and she stated that she would contact the fire department. During this I saw that there was a police car one car behind me. Fortunately he maneuvered his car into the left lane to block the traffic and I was able to exit the car. The fire trucks responded quickly and put the fire out. They did have difficulty trying to open the hood. They finally had to use a crow bar to get it opened. My car was towed to the dealership where I purchased it. To date representatives from BMW have inspected my car. I have been told that they were not able to determine what the cause of the fire was. My car remains at the dealership, the front end was burned to a crisp and there was no resolution to the situation.

- Germantown, MD, USA

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