2003 BMW 525IA Sport Wagon 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 2003 BMW 525IA Sport Wagon, 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
- Airbags350.0%
- Electrical116.7%
- Exterior lighting116.7%
- Tires & wheels116.7%
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
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 525IA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V318000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 525I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V318000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
APPROXIMATELY ONE AND A HALF HOURS AFTER ARRIVING AT WORK THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CAR WAS PARKED, NOT RUNNING, SITTING IN A PARKING SPACE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FELT THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED BEHIND AND BELOW THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. THERE APPEARS TO BE SOME KIND OF FAN/BLOWER LOCATED IN THAT AREA JUST AHEAD OF THE PASSENGER FRONT TIRE. THE WEATHER WAS GOOD, NO PRECIPITATION AND APPROXIMATELY 60 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. *JS
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
MY COMPLAINT IS THE NEW XENON HEADLIGHTS ON AUTOMOBILES. THE ARE SO BRIGHT THAT I AM CONTINUALLY BLINDED BY ONCOMING VEHICLES HAVING THEM. THERE IS REALLY NO NEED FOR SUCH OVERLY BRIGHT HEADLIGHTS, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE HAZARD THEY POSE TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THERE MUST BE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO MINIMIZE THE EFFECT OF THESE LIGHTS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
AFTER THE TIRES WERE ROTATED, THE TREAD WORE OUT. A BMW HOT LINE REPRESENTATIVE INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE TIRES SHOULDN'T BE ROTATED BECAUSE TREAD WEAR WILL OCCUR. THIS INFORMATION WAS NOT LISTED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. *AK THERE WAS EXCESSIVE TIRE NOISE. *SC *JB
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 .