2002 BMW 525I Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 525I years
- About as many complaints as other years 6th of 15 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 28 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 BMW 525I. That ranks 6th out of 15 525I model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (8 complaints, 29%), typically at around 179,200 miles. Complaints mention 2 fires, 1 injury. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 28owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 BMW 525I problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 8 | 29% | 179,200 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 5 | 18% | 86,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 5 | 18% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 14% | 25,903 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 11% | 55,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 11% | 169,367 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 7% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 4% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 4% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 4% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 4% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 4% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 4% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 4% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 4% | 20,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 BMW 525I recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator moduleDo not drive
Problem: 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 steering wheel. The sports steering wheel has a frontal air bag inflator that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator moduleDo not drive
Problem: 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 note that the 5-series and X5 vehicles are only included if they are equipped with the optional sports steering wheel. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
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.
Fix: 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.
Suspension
Problem: 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: This could affect vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Tires:sidewall
Problem: 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 over a long period of time could lead to a reduction of inflation pressure.
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.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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.
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…
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
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 front driver and passenger are twisting when adjusted also seat continuously moves even after the control is let of
Other BMW 525I years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 525I | 0 | 1 |
| 2010 525I | 0 | 1 |
| 2009 525I | 1 | 1 |
| 2008 525I | 1 | 1 |
| 2007 525I | 72 | 2 |
| 2006 525I | 77 | 3 |
| 2005 525I | 35 | 0 |
| 2004 525I | 84 | 0 |
| 2003 525I | 32 | 2 |
| 2002 | 28 | 4 |
| 2001 525I | 22 | 4 |
| 2000 525I | 0 | 1 |
| 1999 525I | 1 | 0 |
| 1998 525I | 2 | 0 |
| 1995 525I | 24 | 3 |
See all BMW 525I problems by year, every BMW model, or the BMW VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 BMW 525I?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, seats problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 8 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 BMW 525I?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 BMW 525I a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 525I model years, the 2002 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.