Total Complaints
3 filings
BMW 525 · model year
1989 BMW 525
3 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989BMW525 carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1989 525 is air bags:frontal with 1 filings, followed by electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash (1) and electrical system (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 1989 525. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
3
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19960222ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEMS, CAUSING CLUSTER MODULE/POWER WINDOWS/ALARM/POWER DOOR LOCKS TO FAIL. *AK
19950622ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED, CAUSING FAILURE OF DASHBOARD AND ENGINE SAFETY WARNING SYSTEMS. *SKD
19950103CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. TT
Compare 1989BMW525 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 BMW 525 have?▼
The 1989 BMW 525 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 BMW 525?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 BMW 525 is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 1989 BMW 525 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1989 BMW 525; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.