1999 BMW 525I Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1999 BMW 525I, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Body & structure1100.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE DRIVER'S INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE, WHICH IS PLASTIC, BROKE OFF IN MY HAND WITHOUT OPENING THE DOOR AS I ATTEMPTED TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. ACCORDING TO A BMW INTERNET FORUM THAT I MONITOR, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS MODEL. THIS EVENT REQUIRES THE DRIVER TO EITHER LOWER THE POWER WINDOW TO ACCESS THE OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE, OR CLIMB OVER THE CENTER CONSOLE TO THE PASSENGER'S DOOR, OR GET ASSISTANCE FROM THE OUTSIDE IN ORDER TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED UNDER NORMAL USAGE. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT IT COULD HAVE FATAL CONSEQUENCES.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .