Total Complaints
19 filings
BMW 525 · model year
1992 BMW 525
19 NHTSA complaints, 5 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1992BMW525 carries 19 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 5 crashes, 3 fires, 2 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 1992 525 is power train:automatic transmission with 3 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (2) and electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash (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 1992 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.
19
Complaints
5
Crashes
3
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
5 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 |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 3 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010606CrashPARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL
IN MAY OF 1998 VEHICLE'S PARKING BRAKE FAILED AND ALLOWED VEHICLE TO ROLL ACROSS A PARKING LOT, STRIKING ANOTHER VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED APPROXIMATELY $2000.00 DAMAGE TO THE REAR END OF VEHICLE. THEN, IN MAY OF 2001, PARKING BRAKE FAILED AGAIN WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK, ALLOWING VEHICLE TO ROLL FORWARD INTO A TREE, CAUSING APPROXIMATELY $10,000.00 DAMAGE TO FRONT END. DEALERSHIP/MANUFACTURER WERE UNCOOPERATIVE IN HANDLING THIS PROBLEM. *AK THE VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF PARK INTO REVERSE OR NEUTRAL OWN IT OWN CAUSING ACCIDENT. *YH
20010606CrashPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
IN MAY OF 1998 VEHICLE'S PARKING BRAKE FAILED AND ALLOWED VEHICLE TO ROLL ACROSS A PARKING LOT, STRIKING ANOTHER VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED APPROXIMATELY $2000.00 DAMAGE TO THE REAR END OF VEHICLE. THEN, IN MAY OF 2001, PARKING BRAKE FAILED AGAIN WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK, ALLOWING VEHICLE TO ROLL FORWARD INTO A TREE, CAUSING APPROXIMATELY $10,000.00 DAMAGE TO FRONT END. DEALERSHIP/MANUFACTURER WERE UNCOOPERATIVE IN HANDLING THIS PROBLEM. *AK THE VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF PARK INTO REVERSE OR NEUTRAL OWN IT OWN CAUSING ACCIDENT. *YH
19990722FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 30 MPH SMELLED SMOKE AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER JUMPED OUT OF VEHICLE, AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME OUT TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. *AK
19990422ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
WIRES IN THE HATCHBACK ARE RUBBING TOGETHER WHICH CAUSES A SHORT, AND THE BACK DOOR WON'T OPEN. ALSO, ALL THE ELECTRICAL PARTS ARE WORKING INTERMITTENTLY, AND TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. *AK
19990422POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WIRES IN THE HATCHBACK ARE RUBBING TOGETHER WHICH CAUSES A SHORT, AND THE BACK DOOR WON'T OPEN. ALSO, ALL THE ELECTRICAL PARTS ARE WORKING INTERMITTENTLY, AND TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. *AK
19990422ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WIRES IN THE HATCHBACK ARE RUBBING TOGETHER WHICH CAUSES A SHORT, AND THE BACK DOOR WON'T OPEN. ALSO, ALL THE ELECTRICAL PARTS ARE WORKING INTERMITTENTLY, AND TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. *AK
19980805POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
GEAR SHIFTS WHILE THE ENGINE IS OFF AND THE CAR IS IN PARK, RESULTED IN A VEHICLE COLLISION.
19970624ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE DRIVER HEARD A LOUD NOISE, THERE WAS A SMELL OF SMOKE AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. MECHANIC STATED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO THE BATTERY EXPLODING. THE BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED. *AK
19970220CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER GOING ABOUT 35 MPH AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG. THE WHOLE FRONT END WAS DAMAGED, NOT SEEN BY DEALER. *AK
19961231VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
DOOR PILLAR TOO THICK ON THE DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S SIDES, OBSTRUCTING REAR VIEW, CAUSING A BLIND SPOT.
19961022POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
DURING VEHICLE OPERATION WHEN GOING FROM 4TH TO 3RD GEAR AT ABOUT 40-45 MPH, THE VEHICLE WILL AUTOMATICALLY DOWNSHIFT TO 1ST GEAR. *AK
19960708POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
THE AIR CONDITIONER IS NOT ENOUGH, TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AND BAD GAS FUMES IN THE CAR . PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
19960315FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
PURCHASED CAR NEW, CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND SMOKE STARTED TO COME FROM THE DASH, PULLED OVER AND CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
19951124SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILURE, BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT LATCH PROPERLY. TT
19950629FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
BRAKE LIGHT/CIRCUIT LIGHT CAME ON, 1 MIN AFTER LIGHT CAME ON NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE DASH NEAR THE STEERING AREA, RESULTING IN A FIRE. *AK.
19950622ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN WHEN KEY INSERTED. *SKD
19950622CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT/INJURY.
19950622SUSPENSION:FRONT
VEHICLE WANDERS/JUMPS.
19950601CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BACK UP, CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT/INJURY. *SKD
Compare 1992BMW525 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1992 BMW 525 have?▼
The 1992 BMW 525 has 19 NHTSA complaints, 5 crashes, 3 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1992 BMW 525?▼
The most-complained component for the 1992 BMW 525 is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH.
Is the 1992 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.