Total Complaints
51 filings
BMW 525I · model year
1990 BMW 525I
51 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990BMW525I carries 51 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, 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 1990 525I is engine and engine cooling:cooling system:radiator assembly with 5 filings, followed by exterior lighting:brake lights (4) and engine and engine cooling:cooling system (4). 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 1990 525I. 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.
51
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
2
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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 5 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS | 4 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 4 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 3 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 2 |
| SEATS | 2 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 2 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20060818ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
(1) MY 1990 BMW 525I STARTED TO OVER HEAT ON AUGUST 01,2006. THE TEMP GAUGE GOES UP 50% MARK. THE COOLANT LEVEL WENT DOWN EVERY DAY AND I FILLED IT UP WITH DISTILLED WATER TO CONTROL THE TEMPERATURE, HOPING THAT IT WOULD CORRECT ITSELF SOME TIME. (2) I COULD NOT DRIVE THE CAR ON REGULAR BASIS ANYMORE. WITHIN FEW DAYS, I SAW COOLANT OVERFLOWING AND SPRAY-OUT. FOLLOWING THIS, I NOTICED SLIGHT ROUGH IDLE AND VIBRATION. (3) REALIZING THAT DRIVING THE CAR WAS NO MORE SAFE, I CALLED WESTCHESTER BMW, WHITE PLAINS, NY. ON EMERGENCY BASIS, THE DEALER ACCEPTED THE CAR THE FOLLOWING WEEK FOR DIAGNOSIS. ON AUGUST 14 2006, THE DEALER CONCLUDED IT IS COOLANT LEAKING IN THE ENGINE AND OUTSIDE THE ENGINE. NO PARTS WERE REPAIRED AND REPLACED BECAUSE THE ENGINE WORK SPECIFIED BY THE DEALER WAS EXPENSIVE. I TOOK THE CAR BACK HOME. CAN NOT DRIVE IT ANYMORE. *JB
Mileage: 140,201
20040120EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS. LIGHTS WENT OUT WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY. *AK
Mileage: 125,000
20030429AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE VEHICLES AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. *NLM
20020731ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
WHILE DRIVING, COOLANT LEVEL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND CONSUMER NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, CONSUMER FOUND THAT WATER WAS IN THE OIL DUE TO A CRACKED HEAD, CONSUMER LATER RECEIVED RECALL 98V178. *SLC
20020408CrashSTEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
I REALIZED MY CAR WAS WRECKED SEVERAL TIMES, IT'S A SALVAGED CAR, BUT SOLD AS NORMAL; THEREFORE OVERPRICED. *AK
20020304EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
BRAKE LIGHT FAILED NO DAMAGE, DEALER WON'T HONOR RECALL #96V111000. *AK
19990617ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
RADIATOR CAP FAILED, CAUSING COMPLETE FAILURE TO RADIATOR. HOWEVER RADIATOR IS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL NOTICE (98V-178). *YC
19981005STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
INSIDE DOOR PANEL SEPARATED FROM THE DOOR.
19981005POWER TRAIN
GLASS OVER ODOMETER CRACKED.
19981005EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS
REAR BACK TAIL LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT FAILED.
19981005EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
REAR BACK TAIL LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT FAILED.
19981005ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BATTERY FAILED.
19981005STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
POWER LOCKS STICK OCCASIONALLY.
19981005EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONER LEAKS FREON EVERY YEAR.
19981005ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
OIL PAN GASKET FAILED CAUSING OIL LEAK.
19981005VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
CRUISE CONTROL AND THROTTLE CABLE FAILED.
19981005VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES
CRUISE CONTROL AND THROTTLE CABLE FAILED.
19981005SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT
FRONT WHEEL STRUTS FAILED.
19981005VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
HEATER CORE FAILED.
19981005ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
WATER PUMP FAILED.
Compare 1990BMW525I to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 BMW 525I have?▼
The 1990 BMW 525I has 51 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 BMW 525I?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 BMW 525I is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM.
Is the 1990 BMW 525I 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.