NHTSA vehicle safety data

2001 BMW 525 Recalls & Complaints

The 2001 BMW 525 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 3 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized BMW dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2001 BMW 525. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

2001 BMW 525 owner complaints

Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 BMW 525, describing incidents dated September 1, 2001 to December 30, 2011.

Most-cited components

Air Bags 1 complaint
Engine 1 complaint
Service Brakes 1 complaint
Structure 1 complaint
Vehicle Speed Control 1 complaint

Of the 3 complaints on file, 1 reports a crash and 1 a fire (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #10444001 · Filed January 17, 2012
POWER BRAKE SERVO FAILURE DUE TO WATER ACCUMULATION. DRIVING THE CAR AND ATTEMPTED TO STOP WHEN THERE WAS SUDDENLY NO POWER BRAKES. DEALER INDICATED THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY A BAD VACUUM LINE. WHEN REPLACING THE VACUUM HOSE, I FOUND THE BRAKES BOOSTER (SERVO) SUBMERGED IN 6 INCHES OF WATER. AFTER…
ODI #10188061 · Filed April 16, 2007
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 525. WHILE DRIVING, THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE. THE VEHICLE THEN SUDDENLY LOST CONTROL ,VEERED TO THE RIGHT, AND CRASHED INTO A CHANNELIZER BARREL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. ALTHOUGH, HE STRUCK THE BARREL HEAD ON THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES…
ODI #898621 · Filed November 1, 2001
ENGINE COMPARTMENT STARTED SMOKING. CONSUMER PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND SHUT VEHICLE OFF. SERVICE MANAGER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. ELECTRICAL COMPONETS IN FAN WERE BURNED OUT. CONSUMER STATED THIS PROBLEM STARTED AFTER RECALL WAS PERFORMED. DEALER ADVISED CONSUMER TO ATTACHED RECALL…

Read all 3 complaints

Driver's Frontal Air Bag Inflator may Rupture

NHTSA #17V047000 · Air Bags — Frontal — Driver Side — Inflator Module · NHTSA notice

Reported January 20, 2017 · BMW of North America, LLC

Potentially affected: 230,117 vehicles

Repair completion: 24.66% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified March 15, 2017 · Vehicles built September 1, 2000 – February 28, 2002 (per NHTSA) · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Recall group: Takata airbag inflators

DO NOT DRIVE — this recall carries a "do not drive" advisory. Contact a BMW dealer immediately.

Defect description

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2002 BMW 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 323Ci, 325Ci, 330Ci, M3, 323iT, 325iT and 325xiT vehicles, 2001-2002 525i, 530i, 540i, M5, 525iT and 540iT vehicles, and 2001-2003 X5 3.0i, X5 4.4i, and X5 4.6is vehicles. These vehicles may have had a driver-side air bag module installed as replacement equipment such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bag, or as a remedy part for a prior recall. These replacement modules contain an air bag inflator that may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to lower absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Safety consequence

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.

Manufacturer remedy

Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver side air bag module, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 15, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 2001 BMW 525. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

3 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2001 BMW 525.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic; Structure

ODI #10444001

Incident: December 30, 2011 · Filed: January 17, 2012

POWER BRAKE SERVO FAILURE DUE TO WATER ACCUMULATION. DRIVING THE CAR AND ATTEMPTED TO STOP WHEN THERE WAS SUDDENLY NO POWER BRAKES. DEALER INDICATED THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY A BAD VACUUM LINE. WHEN REPLACING THE VACUUM HOSE, I FOUND THE BRAKES BOOSTER (SERVO) SUBMERGED IN 6 INCHES OF WATER. AFTER DRAINING THE WATER AND DISCONNECTING THE VACUUM HOSE A LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER DRAINED FROM INSIDE THE POWER BOOSTER/SERVO. CAR RAN FINE AFTER REPAIR. 1 WEEK LATER, ON 1/16/12 DURING SUB-FREEZING TEMPS, THERE WS NO BRAKE PEDAL FUNCTION AT ALL. EXTENSIVE WEB SEARCH FOUND SEVERAL THREADS DEVOTED TO THE PROBLEM. HERE IS ONE OF THOSE LINKS: HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=418457 TWO POTENTIAL CAUSES: 1 - THE BRAKE BOOSTER/SERVO IS IN A WELL. THIS WELL DOES HAVE A SMALL DRAINAGE HOLE THAT CAN CLOG DUE TO LEAVES OR OTHER DEBRIS. THIS WELL IS UNDER A CABIN AIR FILTER BOX. THE AIR FILTER IS A NORMAL MAINTENANCE ITEM, COMPLETE REMOVAL OF THE BOX AND MAINTENANCE UNDER THE BOX IS NOT PART OF STANDARD MAINTENANCE. IN CLIMATES WHERE LEAVES FALL, THEY CAN COLLECT UNDER THIS BOX AND BLOCK DRAINAGE. SHOULD THE WELL FILL WITH WATER THE UNIT WILL BECOME SUBMERGED AND ULTIMATELY TAKE ON WATER. WATER SEEPING INTO THE BOOSTER/SERVO CAN CAUSE FAILURE OF THE UNIT CAUSING BRAKE FUNCTION TO BE DRASTICALLY REDUCED. IF ALL THE WATER IS NOT DRAINED, IN BELOW FREEZING CONDITIONS THE WATER IN THE BOOSTER/SERVO WILL FREEZE, EFFECTIVELY FREEZING THE BRAKE PEDAL, MAKING BRAKING IMPOSSIBLE! THIS WATER CAN ALSO GET SUCKED INTO THE VACUUM LINE AND BE SUCKED INTO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THEN INTO THE ENGINE POTENTIALLY CAUSING MASSIVE ENGINE FAILURE. 2 - FAILURE OF THE CCV VALVE, CAUSED BY CONDENSATE, CAN ALSO CAUSE WATER TO ULTIMATELY BACK-UP INTO THE VACUUM SYSTEM AND INTO THE BRAKE BOOSTER/SERVO, CAUSING THE SAME EFFECTS MENTIONED ABOVE. BOOSTER REPLACEMENT NEEDED. *TR

Air Bags; Vehicle Speed Control

ODI #10188061

Crash

Incident: April 15, 2007 · Filed: April 16, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 525. WHILE DRIVING, THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE. THE VEHICLE THEN SUDDENLY LOST CONTROL ,VEERED TO THE RIGHT, AND CRASHED INTO A CHANNELIZER BARREL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. ALTHOUGH, HE STRUCK THE BARREL HEAD ON THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 50,000.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling

ODI #898621

Fire

Incident: September 1, 2001 · Filed: November 1, 2001

ENGINE COMPARTMENT STARTED SMOKING. CONSUMER PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND SHUT VEHICLE OFF. SERVICE MANAGER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. ELECTRICAL COMPONETS IN FAN WERE BURNED OUT. CONSUMER STATED THIS PROBLEM STARTED AFTER RECALL WAS PERFORMED. DEALER ADVISED CONSUMER TO ATTACHED RECALL INFORMATION.*AK *YH

Other BMW 525 model years

Check your 2001 BMW 525 VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your BMW 525 at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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