Total Complaints
18 filings
BMW 525 · model year
1991 BMW 525
18 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1991BMW525 carries 18 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 2 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1991 525 is vehicle speed control with 3 filings, followed by air bags:frontal (2) and seats:front assembly:power adjust (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 1991 525. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
18
Complaints
3
Crashes
2
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
3 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 |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 2 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030219FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
THE BRAKE LIGHT INDICATOR FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD, SOON AFTER CONSUMER NOTICED AN ELECTRICAL WIRE SMELL AND SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE AIR VENTS, AND WITHIN SECONDS VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. *JB
20010411ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT UP. TOOK TO MECHANIC, AND THEY REPLACED WATER PUMP. CURRENTLY, CONSUMER IS NOW HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THERMOSTAT. *AK
20010411ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT UP. TOOK TO MECHANIC, AND THEY REPLACED WATER PUMP. CURRENTLY, CONSUMER IS NOW HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THERMOSTAT. *AK
20010411ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT UP. TOOK TO MECHANIC, AND THEY REPLACED WATER PUMP. CURRENTLY, CONSUMER IS NOW HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THERMOSTAT. *AK
20000515VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
ON SUNNY DAY CONSUMER SPILLED COLD WATER ON THE WINDSHIELD AND THE GLASS CRACKED. *AK
19990729ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
WHILE DRIVING EVERYTHING ON THE DASH WENT OUT. AFTER AN HOUR EVERYTHING CAME BACK ON. THEN WENT OUT AGAIN. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
19981014SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST
SEAT WIRING FAILED RESULTING IN MELTING OF THE PLASTIC CASING.
19980324AIR BAGS
RECALL 96V-1100000; MS. RUSSO WAS NEVER NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS RECALL. MS. RUSSO HAD THE PROBLEM TO BE FIXED BEFORE HEARING ABOUT THIS RECALL, AND LATER SHE WAS INFORMED THROUGH SOMEONE THAT THERE IS A RECALL. SO, MS. RUSSO CHECKED OUT THE RECALL AT BELL IMPORTS AND THEY TOOK CARE OF THE RECALL . *AK
19970805AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH AND THE SRS LIGHT WAS ON. DEALER WAS AWARE, BUT HAD TO RESCHDULE TO ANOTHER APPOINTMENT DURING THAT TIME. THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, CAUSING INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANT. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK
19970512FireSEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST
POWER ADJUSTABLE SEATS SHORTED OUT AND CAUGHT ON FIRE, TURNED OFF VEHICLE TO PUT OUT FIRE. *AK
19961212ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
REPLACED LEAKING ENGINE GASKET. *AK
19960529CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE THROTTLE STICKS AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE IN REVERSE, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19960222CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THROTTLE LINKAGES AND CONTROL FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOSE CONTROL, RESULTING IN ACCIDENT/INJURIES PRIOR TO RECALL (91V-029). *AK
19960222FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
FUEL LINE METALLIC FITTINGS MALFUNCTIONED.
19960123STEERING
DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS AND STEERING WENT OUT OF CONTROL. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
19951207POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT
DEFECTIVE GEAR SHIFT HANDLE CAUSED TRANSMISSION TO JUMP FROM PARK TO REVERSE GEAR. *AW
19951109CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO DRIVE GEAR, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT/INJURIES. *SKD
19950615AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
OTHER: DRIVER'S AIR BAG PROBLEMS. *SKD
Compare 1991BMW525 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1991 BMW 525 have?▼
The 1991 BMW 525 has 18 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 2 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1991 BMW 525?▼
The most-complained component for the 1991 BMW 525 is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS:FRONTAL and SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST.
Is the 1991 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 as of 2025. 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.