IllustrationI EXPERIENCED A ROUGH IDLE WHILE PARKED OR STOPPED AT LIGHT. INDEPENDENT MECHANIC SAID THERE WAS A VAC LEAK ASSOCIATED WITH THE BRAKE VAC PUMP WHICH COULD CAUSE BRAKE DAMAGE AND/OR FAILURE. BMW STATED THAT THE RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM WAS VIN SPECIFIC. #2 PASSENGER RESTRAINT AND AIR BAG LITE ARE ON, SAME ANSWER FROM BMW.
2004 BMW 525I
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 525I years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
60–25K
925–50K
1450–75K
1675–100K
16100–150K
11150K+
72 reports with mileage · 12 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seats. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports17 fire reports2 injury reports
Service Brakes complaints
2 reportsOUR CARS BRAKES FAILED AND IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP WE REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS AND SENSORS AND TESTED THE CAR AND IT DID NOT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE AS THE OLD PADS WERE STILL OVER 60%.WE TOOK THE CAR TO BMW OF ARLINGTON TEXAS FOR REPAIRS. THE DEALERSHIP TOOK THE VEHICLE IN AND TOLD US THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACE…
Read full complaint
OUR CARS BRAKES FAILED AND IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP WE REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS AND SENSORS AND TESTED THE CAR AND IT DID NOT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE AS THE OLD PADS WERE STILL OVER 60%.WE TOOK THE CAR TO BMW OF ARLINGTON TEXAS FOR REPAIRS. THE DEALERSHIP TOOK THE VEHICLE IN AND TOLD US THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED,THEY ORDERED THE MASTER CYLINDER AND AT THAT TIME THE QUOTE WAS A LITTLE OVER $1000.THEY CALLED US BACK AND SAID THAT WHEN THEY TOOK OUT THE MASTER CYLINDER THEY NOTICED THE BRAKE BOOSTER SERVO HAD OIL IN IT AND THE DIAPHRAGM WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED NOW THE QUOTE WENT UP OVER $2000 THEY INSTALLED ALL THE PARTS AND GAVE THE CAR BACK TO US SAID EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT. WE WENT ON THE FREEWAY AND HEARD A LOUD POUNDING NOISE,PULLED OVER ON THE FREEWAY AT THIS TIME THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN THE BRAKING IT WAS THE SAME AS WE HAD ORIGINALLY COMPLAINED ABOUT .WE TOOK THE CAR BACK IN AND THEY FOUND THAT THE ENGINE COVER WAS MISSING I TOLD THEM THE CAR WAS FINE EXCEPT FOR THE BRAKES SO THEY KEPT THE CAR IN THE SHOP AND ORDERED THE MISSING PARTS AND INSTALLED THEM FOR NO CHARGE. THEY DELIVERED THE CAR BACK TO US FRIDAY APRIL 10TH NOW NEARLY 3 WEEKS LATER WE LEFT THE CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY AND USED OUR OTHER CARS AS IT WAS LOW ON GAS AND WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO REFILL IT. TODAY APRIL 12TH MY WIFE TOOK THE CAR TO GET IT GASSED UP AND READY FOR MONDAY. SHE DROVE OFF AND TRIED TO STOP AT THE FIRST STOP SIGN AND THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND SINCE SHE WAS REALLY SLOW THE CAR DID STOP BUT WAY PAST THE STOP SIGN ALMOST HITTING THE CURB. THE BMW DEALERSHIP TOLD US THAT THEY HAD LOOKED AT THE CAR AND IT WAS FINE. THEY RELEASED AN UNSAFE MOTOR VEHICLE ON THE STREET WHEN THE BRAKES WERE CLEARLY NOT REPAIRED TO STANDARD I HAVE PAID OVER $2000 AND I HAVE A CAR THAT IS STILL BROKEN PLEASE HELP RESOLVE THIS. *TR UPDATED 10/3/2014 *JS
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA08001 · BMW Airbag Light Illumination
Opened Jan 4, 2008 · Closed Dec 31, 2008
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags; Air Bags:frontal; Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
BMW IS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN ON APPROXIMATELY 200,000 MY04 THROUGH MY06 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH 11/30/05 TO CORRECT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT. THE SPECIFIC VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AREMY04- 06/ 5-SERIES WITH STANDARD AND SPORT SEATS, MY04-06/ X3-SERIES AND MY06/ 3-SERIES WITH SPORT SEATS. IN ADDITION, BMW WILL EXTEND THE WARRANTY COVERAGE OF THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT TO 10-YEAR/UNLIMITED MILEAGE ON APPROXIMATELY 120,000 REMAINING MY04-06 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH 11/30/05. THE SPECIFIC VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ARE MY 06/ 6 SERIES, MY 06/ 3-SERIES WITH STANDARD SEATS, MY04-05/ Z4, MY04-06/ 7 SERIES, MY 06/ X5, AND MY04-06/ 5-SERIES WITH COMFORT SEATS.THE AVERAGE FREQUENCY OF FAILURES AMONG THE EXTENDED WARRANTY GROUPS WAS LESS THAN 1/7TH OF THE RECALL VEHICLE GROUPS.PLEASE SEE BMW'S 08V-384 RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR FURTHER DETAILSDEPENDING ON SEAT CONFIGURATION AND VEHICLE GEOMETRY, THE OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT CAN FATIGUE DURING USE DEPENDING ON THE MANNER AND FREQUENCY OF THE FRONT PASSENGER'S ENTRY AND EXIT.SPECIFICALLY, OVER TIME, MICRO-CRACKS COULD DEVELOP IN THE SIDE FLANKS OF THE MAT CAUSING A BROKEN CIRCUIT.A BROKENCIRCUIT CAN LEAD TO THE DEACTIVATION OF THE PASSENGER AIR BAG AND THE ILLUMINATION OF BOTH THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Air Bags
BMW IS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN ON APPROXIMATELY 200,000 MY04 THROUGH MY06 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH 11/30/05 TO CORRECT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT. THE SPECIFIC VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AREMY04- 06/ 5-SERIES WITH STANDARD AND SPORT SEATS, MY04-06/ X3-SERIES AND MY06/ 3-SERIES WITH SPORT SEATS. IN ADDITION, BMW WILL EXTEND THE WARRANTY COVERAGE OF THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT TO 10-YEAR/UNLIMITED MILEAGE ON APPROXIMATELY 120,000 REMAINING MY04-06 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH 11/30/05. THE SPECIFIC VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ARE MY 06/ 6 SERIES, MY 06/ 3-SERIES WITH STANDARD SEATS, MY04-05/ Z4, MY04-06/ 7 SERIES, MY 06/ X5, AND MY04-06/ 5-SERIES WITH COMFORT SEATS.THE AVERAGE FREQUENCY OF FAILURES AMONG THE EXTENDED WARRANTY GROUPS WAS LESS THAN 1/7TH OF THE RECALL VEHICLE GROUPS.PLEASE SEE BMW'S 08V-384 RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR FURTHER DETAILSDEPENDING ON SEAT CONFIGURATION AND VEHICLE GEOMETRY, THE OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT CAN FATIGUE DURING USE DEPENDING ON THE MANNER AND FREQUENCY OF THE FRONT PASSENGER'S ENTRY AND EXIT.SPECIFICALLY, OVER TIME, MICRO-CRACKS COULD DEVELOP IN THE SIDE FLANKS OF THE MAT CAUSING A BROKEN CIRCUIT.A BROKENCIRCUIT CAN LEAD TO THE DEACTIVATION OF THE PASSENGER AIR BAG AND THE ILLUMINATION OF BOTH THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT.
Air Bags:frontal
BMW IS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN ON APPROXIMATELY 200,000 MY04 THROUGH MY06 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH 11/30/05 TO CORRECT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT. THE SPECIFIC VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AREMY04- 06/ 5-SERIES WITH STANDARD AND SPORT SEATS, MY04-06/ X3-SERIES AND MY06/ 3-SERIES WITH SPORT SEATS. IN ADDITION, BMW WILL EXTEND THE WARRANTY COVERAGE OF THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT TO 10-YEAR/UNLIMITED MILEAGE ON APPROXIMATELY 120,000 REMAINING MY04-06 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH 11/30/05. THE SPECIFIC VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ARE MY 06/ 6 SERIES, MY 06/ 3-SERIES WITH STANDARD SEATS, MY04-05/ Z4, MY04-06/ 7 SERIES, MY 06/ X5, AND MY04-06/ 5-SERIES WITH COMFORT SEATS.THE AVERAGE FREQUENCY OF FAILURES AMONG THE EXTENDED WARRANTY GROUPS WAS LESS THAN 1/7TH OF THE RECALL VEHICLE GROUPS.PLEASE SEE BMW'S 08V-384 RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR FURTHER DETAILSDEPENDING ON SEAT CONFIGURATION AND VEHICLE GEOMETRY, THE OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT CAN FATIGUE DURING USE DEPENDING ON THE MANNER AND FREQUENCY OF THE FRONT PASSENGER'S ENTRY AND EXIT.SPECIFICALLY, OVER TIME, MICRO-CRACKS COULD DEVELOP IN THE SIDE FLANKS OF THE MAT CAUSING A BROKEN CIRCUIT.A BROKENCIRCUIT CAN LEAD TO THE DEACTIVATION OF THE PASSENGER AIR BAG AND THE ILLUMINATION OF BOTH THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT.
Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
BMW IS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN ON APPROXIMATELY 200,000 MY04 THROUGH MY06 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH 11/30/05 TO CORRECT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT. THE SPECIFIC VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AREMY04- 06/ 5-SERIES WITH STANDARD AND SPORT SEATS, MY04-06/ X3-SERIES AND MY06/ 3-SERIES WITH SPORT SEATS. IN ADDITION, BMW WILL EXTEND THE WARRANTY COVERAGE OF THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT TO 10-YEAR/UNLIMITED MILEAGE ON APPROXIMATELY 120,000 REMAINING MY04-06 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH 11/30/05. THE SPECIFIC VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ARE MY 06/ 6 SERIES, MY 06/ 3-SERIES WITH STANDARD SEATS, MY04-05/ Z4, MY04-06/ 7 SERIES, MY 06/ X5, AND MY04-06/ 5-SERIES WITH COMFORT SEATS.THE AVERAGE FREQUENCY OF FAILURES AMONG THE EXTENDED WARRANTY GROUPS WAS LESS THAN 1/7TH OF THE RECALL VEHICLE GROUPS.PLEASE SEE BMW'S 08V-384 RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR FURTHER DETAILSDEPENDING ON SEAT CONFIGURATION AND VEHICLE GEOMETRY, THE OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT CAN FATIGUE DURING USE DEPENDING ON THE MANNER AND FREQUENCY OF THE FRONT PASSENGER'S ENTRY AND EXIT.SPECIFICALLY, OVER TIME, MICRO-CRACKS COULD DEVELOP IN THE SIDE FLANKS OF THE MAT CAUSING A BROKEN CIRCUIT.A BROKENCIRCUIT CAN LEAD TO THE DEACTIVATION OF THE PASSENGER AIR BAG AND THE ILLUMINATION OF BOTH THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT.