2002 BMW 525I
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Have the VIN?
These records cover every 2002 BMW 525I. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
4 recalls name the 2002 BMW 525I. Newest first.
BMW 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 Wagon vehicles, and 2000-2004 X5 SAV 3.0i, X5 SAV 4.4i, and X5 SAV 4.6is vehicles. This recall affects certain vehicles where the original steering wheel has been replaced with the optional sports…
Risk and remedy
Risk
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle for an optional sports steering wheel with an affected inflator. Dealers will replace the air bag module as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 14, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW 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 330Ci, 325Ci, and M3 Convertibles and 325i, 330i, and M3 Coupes, 2002-2003 M5, 540i, 525i Sedan, and 530i Sedans, and 540i and 525i Sportswagons, and 2003 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity Vehicles. Please…
Risk and remedy
Risk
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began Aug 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-348 in its entirety. Additionally, vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously as part of a recall remedy need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well. Note: On December 17, 2015 BMW removed the model year 2004 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity vehicle from this recall. Those vehicles were mistakenly identified as including the air bags that are subject to this recall.
On certain passenger vehicles, during the strut mount manufacturing process, the thrust bearing was not properly positions and secured. if the suspension IS fully unloaded, the front strut could separate from the upper mount.
Risk and remedy
Risk
This could affect vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace both front spring strut upper mounts. owner notification began march 15, 2002. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.
Vehicle description: during the tire mounting process on certain passenger vehicles built with standard (non-sport) suspension and equipped with continental contitouringcontact CH95 ecoplus tires, size 225/65r16 95H, having dot codes 4001, 4101, or 4201, the outer sidewall surface of the tires may have been cut by a sharp edge. operation of the vehicle…
Risk and remedy
Risk
Continued driving with low inflation pressure in the tire could ultimately result in damage to the tire, affect vehicle handling and control, and could in some cases result in a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect all five tires for a possible cut in the sidewall, and if a cut IS found, the tire will be replaced. owner notification began december 10, 2001. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.
Owner complaints
29 complaints2 involved a fire2 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Air bags
The contact's brother owns a 2002 BMW 525I. The contact stated that while the owner was driving, the front driver's side steering wheel air bag deployed without impact and struck the driver's arm and face. The impact caused the driver to become unconscious. The driver sustained a broken arm and…
The contact's brother owns a 2002 BMW 525I. The contact stated that while the owner was driving, the front driver's side steering wheel air bag deployed without impact and struck the driver's arm and face. The impact caused the driver to become unconscious. The driver sustained a broken arm and received medical attention. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. A police report was filed. The dealer was contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.
- Air bags
The contact owns a 2002 BMW 525I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V318000 (AIR BAGS); and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted.
- Air bags
regarding the Takata airbag recall for my model bmw, the priority zone A includes the hotter southern states incl Florida. My car is in Canada and currently not under a recall notice; however, the car spent many years in Florida, as my parents resided in Florida every winter for 6 months, and then…
regarding the Takata airbag recall for my model bmw, the priority zone A includes the hotter southern states incl Florida. My car is in Canada and currently not under a recall notice; however, the car spent many years in Florida, as my parents resided in Florida every winter for 6 months, and then summers in Canada. I am concerned as the propellant in question degrades FASTER in hot climates, and since i reside in Canada, the priority is low. please advise.
- Seats
I can't even get comfortable in the seats in this car they are twisting cause a very uncomfortable drive /ride for us! Evrryone i hear of that owns a bmw has this issue
- Electrical system
The car was off and caught fire due too electrical malfunctioning. The a/c unit was staying on even after cutting the car off . Along with my steering wheel randomly adjusting at start of the car . The fire started inside out .
- Seats · Service brakes
Seats front driver and passenger are twisting when adjusted also seat continuously moves even after the control IS let of
- Air bags · Seats · Unknown or other
Takata recall there's a airbag signals on display screen doesn't go out or clear anytime you start or drive the car
- Unknown or other
It started to smell electrical when I was driving the car and when I stopped the car put it in park and tryed to turn the car off the ignition wouldnt turn off and my entire car caught fire ..i saw it start on the passenger side under the hood I threw water on it it woundnt go out and I called the fire department. It happened in placerville when I was visiting family.
- Air bags
TL* the contact owns a 2002 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.
- Air bags
TL* takata recall. The contact owns a 2002 BMW 525I. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v318000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the recall were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
- Air bags
TL* the contact owns a 2002 BMW 525I. While in park and attempting to start the vehicle, both the driver and passenger side air bags inadvertently deployed. The contact did not sustain any injuries. A police report was not filed. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 189,000.
- Electrical system · Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
I and numerous others have had problems with the instrument cluster pixel on the BMW 525I vehicles, which makes it extremely difficult to read whether you have a engine concerns or worse if the engine IS overheating, etc. this could be potentially hazardous and the manufacturer IS well aware of…
I and numerous others have had problems with the instrument cluster pixel on the BMW 525I vehicles, which makes it extremely difficult to read whether you have a engine concerns or worse if the engine IS overheating, etc. this could be potentially hazardous and the manufacturer IS well aware of the problem, and they have even repaired a few bmws at no charge. however, when I notified the company of my complaint, they advised me that they would cover 25% of the parts and labor, and leave me to pay the remaining $452.00. as I mentioned earlier, this IS a huge problem and the vehicles should be recalled. to see additional complaints from other BMW owners, please go to http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=419695. *kb
- Exterior lighting
TL* the contact owns a 2002 BMW 525I. The contact stated that the headlights were abnormally pointed downward and was causing ineffective illumination of the roadway. the contact stated that the adjusters were fractured and the headlight could not be adjusted. The contact took the vehicle to the…
TL* the contact owns a 2002 BMW 525I. The contact stated that the headlights were abnormally pointed downward and was causing ineffective illumination of the roadway. the contact stated that the adjusters were fractured and the headlight could not be adjusted. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and they confirmed the failure. The entire headlight casing was replaced. The vin was unavailable. The failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 80,000.
- Electrical system
The battery warning light fails to illuminate when the car's alternator fails. at idle a voltmeter read 11.5V. with the car off the reading was 12.2V. even if my meter IS inaccurate a running car should produce a higher reading than a battery in a non-running car if the alternator IS working. I…
The battery warning light fails to illuminate when the car's alternator fails. at idle a voltmeter read 11.5V. with the car off the reading was 12.2V. even if my meter IS inaccurate a running car should produce a higher reading than a battery in a non-running car if the alternator IS working. I removed the battery from the car and attached it to a "smart" charger. the charger started out reading "lo." my charger reads "lo" when the charge IS less than 50% or so, and above that reports estimated charge in increments of 10%. *Tr
- Structure
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 BMW 525I. The contact stated that due to the way the tire was mounted on the vehicle, the tire had a slow leak. The failure had been occurring for two years. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. The vin was unavailable.
- Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system
Engine overheating warning sounded. looked at indicator and it was all the way in the red. pulled over immediately. 30 seconds later the radiator blew with the force of an explosion, shooting coolant about five feet across the street even though the hood was down. opened hood and found a hole…
Engine overheating warning sounded. looked at indicator and it was all the way in the red. pulled over immediately. 30 seconds later the radiator blew with the force of an explosion, shooting coolant about five feet across the street even though the hood was down. opened hood and found a hole in top of radiator, more than an inch in diameter. I would have opened hood before it blew so I came within half a minute of being badly burned. my mechanic said it happens regularly with BMW 525'S. he said it happens around 80,000 miles. my car had 75,000 miles. mechanic said he testified in a case a few years ago where an owner was badly burned. he had a box with a bunch of pieces of radiators that had failed. I kept my radiator as evidence. none of the hoses failed but the radiator blew a hole out of the top. it IS made of plastic and IS only about an eight of an inch thick. I would expect that any point of connection such as a hose or a seal would bust under pressure before the radiator itself would fail. I'D never heard of such a thing happening in 30 years of driving. I believe this IS a dangerous design defect, either in the material used or it's thickness. though the repair cost almost a thousand dollars I felt lucky because I knew that I opened the a half minute earlier I could have been extremely badly burned or evened blinded. the force of the explosion was incredible. I'm less concerned about the money than about somebody being seriously injured by this defect. *Tr
- Air bags › Frontal
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 BMW 525I. the manufacturer stated that the contact's vin was not included in nhtsa campaign ID number 08v384000 (air bags:frontal). he stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminates when no one IS seated in the passenger seat. the failure and current mileages were 44,000.
- Electrical system · Electrical system › Horn · Latches/locks/linkages · Seats
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 BMW 525I. the driver's seat controls make a squeaking noise when moving the seat. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure was not repaired. the dealer stated that there was something in the seat track, which caused the noise. when the contact locks the…
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 BMW 525I. the driver's seat controls make a squeaking noise when moving the seat. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure was not repaired. the dealer stated that there was something in the seat track, which caused the noise. when the contact locks the vehicle, the alarm sounds, but the horn would not. the failure caused the battery to fail when this occurred overnight. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they replaced the sensor; however, the failure persisted. in addition, the keys do not lock or unlock the driver's side door. the contact was informed that he needed a new module, which has not yet arrived. the failure mileage was 48,000.
- Seat belts › Rear/other › Buckle assembly
Passenger side rear safety belt receptacle IS malfunctioning.*jb
- Structure › Body
The rear floor of my 2002 bmw(525i) has 2 inches of water, carpet soaked,mildew, the front carpet was soaked , drivers side(front) wetter than the passenger front .alexander BMW said they had no reports of this happening before, this must be a manufacture defect in the car.
- Electronic stability control › Automatic (asc)
While going over a bump vehicle lost control and shook. consumer had to brake constantly to gain control. dealer was able to duplicate the problem. The bushings were found to have no fluid. however, the bushings were checked on previous visits ,and no defects were found.*ak
- Seats › Front assembly › Seat heater/cooler
While driving, the seat heater failed and consequently the consumer was burned. *jb
- Structure › Body
When parking the vehicle in a parking lot consumer noticed that the splash shield scrapped the concrete driveway when entering parking lot, and parking space block. This was causing the front bumper to bent, separating from the vehicle. The consumer notified the dealer and manufacturer about this problem. *Ak *ts
- Tires
While driving front end vibrated. the dealership indicated that vehicle vibrated because the two front tires were cupping. The tires would have to be replaced to correct the problem.*ak
- Electrical system · Equipment › Electrical · Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump · Power train · Seat belts · Structure › Body › Door · Unknown or other
While driving and without warning the consumer had to drive a certain speed in order for the ajar indicator light or the alarm sound to come on, to let the consumer know the door or trunk was open. There was also no warning chime to let the driver know that occupants in the vehicle released the…
While driving and without warning the consumer had to drive a certain speed in order for the ajar indicator light or the alarm sound to come on, to let the consumer know the door or trunk was open. There was also no warning chime to let the driver know that occupants in the vehicle released the seat belts. *Ak after the vehicle was placed in drive, it would take about two vehicle lengths before the gong sounds, the fuel sending unit was inoperative and caused the vehicle to stall, at the time the vehicle showed a half a tank, there was a loud popping that had come from the center of the vehicle, the vehicle jumped between gear(1st to 2ND gear and would jerk), the remote key wouldn't work, the left rear seat belt would not extend, the vehicle would crank but wouldn't start, the vehicle alarm was too sensitive, and the right rear door's full shade did not retract. *scc the fuse in the glove box was loose. *jb
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10249437The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
- 10247567Engine will crank but not start. There is no communication with the integrated fuel module (TFE) whendiagnosing with ISTA. The following two fault codes will be stored in the DME: 032B43 - Low fuel pressure system, electric fuel pump: pressure value too low CDA594 - Message (- 0x33E) missing, receiver DME, transmitter TFE
- 10245422Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle. Depending on the vehicles equipment and settings, no acoustic or optical confirmation (folding the mirrors/blinking confirmation) is noticeable. Additionally, the red anti-theft alarm LED in the interior mirror does not briefly flash every 2 seconds, indicating the alarm is armed.
- 10160287TAKATA AIR BAG RECALL-RELATED SHORT-TERM ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION AND CONSEQUENTIAL REPAIRS This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B01 31 18 dated October 2018.
- 10160244TAKATA AIR BAG RECALL-RELATED SHORT-TERM ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION AND CONSEQUENTIAL REPAIRS This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B01 31 18 dated October 2018.
- 10154816In 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 page. This page will allow IRFs to check their customers VINs for open Takata recalls; and get rewarded for helping us with completing repairs.
- 10153726Takata class action settlement. Customer support program. Front driver side airbag modules.
- 10152674Radio / Navigation / Head Unit Identification Guide
- 10149557For 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 Settlement Customer Support Program Overview attachment. This ?component-specific? customer support program applies only if there is a defect in materials or workmanship of the Takata driver?s side airbag module in a listed vehicle.
- 10135028SERVICE ACTION: PROGRAM DME: The incorrect dataset could be programmed into DME 5.2.1 control module.
- 10037025BMW: procedure for determining and replacing incandescent and halogen light bulbs under warranty.
- 10033130BMW vehicles: fuel level sensor repairs. Where it IS necessary to replace the right or the left side fuel level sensor due to a failure, the entire pump and housing or delivery unit (suction jet assembly) do not need to be replaced as well. In some cases, epc does not show that the repair kit IS available separately in the illustration, but it IS available in the parts description. All models. No model years listed.
Every BMW 525I model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.