NHTSA vehicle safety data
2011 BMW 525I Recalls & Complaints
The 2011 BMW 525I has 1 NHTSA recall campaign on file as of October 21, 2026. try.vin has no NHTSA owner complaints on file for the 2011 BMW 525I. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized BMW dealer.
NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2011 BMW 525I. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
PCV Heater may Short Circuit
NHTSA #17V683000 · Engine and Engine Cooling — Exhaust System — Emission Control — Crankcase (PCV) · NHTSA notice
Reported October 30, 2017 · BMW of North America, LLC
Potentially affected: 740,561 vehicles
Repair completion: 53.7% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated October 21, 2026)
Owners notified June 18, 2018 · Vehicles built February 16, 2006 – August 31, 2011 (per NHTSA)
Defect description
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2011 128i and 2007-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi, X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive30i, Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
Safety consequence
An electrical short can cause the parts within the PCV valve to melt, increasing the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is not in use.
Manufacturer remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PCV valve heater, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notification by the end of October 2018. 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.
Other BMW 525I model years
Check your 2011 BMW 525I VIN
Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your BMW 525I at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
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