2006 Bmw 525xi problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Air Bags (9) · Electrical System (4) · Service Brakes (3)
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
20 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:crankcase (Pcv) 2019-04-04 · campaign 19V273000 · 184,505 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, 530xi Sports Wagon, 325i, 325xi, 325xi Sports Wagon, 330i, 330xi, Z4 3.0i and Z4 3.0si vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
Risk: An electrical short can cause the parts within the PCV valve to melt, increasing the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is not in use.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PCV valve heater, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall is an expansion to recall 17V-683.
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification 2017-07-06 · campaign 17V428000 · 2,158 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, Inc. (BMW) is recalling certain 2006 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, and 550i vehicles equipped with the Sport Seat option and certain 2006 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, 550i vehicles with standard seats. The front passenger seat occupant detection mat that determines if, and how, the passenger frontal air bag should deploy in a crash may fatigue and develop cracks which could lead to a system failure.
Risk: Should the system fail, in the event of a crash, the front passenger air bag would be deactivated, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will repair the occupant detection mat to eliminate the possibility that it may crack, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began September 1, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification 2013-11-12 · campaign 13V564000 · 76,565 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2006 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi sedans and 325xi sports wagons, model year 2007 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi sedans and 328i and 328xi sports wagons, model year 2006-2007 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, 550i sedans and 530xi sports wagons, model year 2006 760i sedans, model year 2006-2007 750i, 750Li, and 760Li sedans, and model year 2006 X5 sports activity vehicles, equipped with certain seat types. The front passenger seat occupant detection
Risk: Should the system fail, in the event of a crash, the front passenger air bag would be deactivated, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: BMW will notify owners with an interim notification letter in January 2014 since parts are not currently available. When parts are available, BMW sent a second letter in August and dealers will repair the occupant detection mat to eliminate the possibility that it may crack, free of charge. Additionally, owners of model year 2006-2007 3 Series with standard seats, 5 Series with comfort seats, and Z4 models, will receive an extended warranty on their front passenger seat occupant detection mat.
Service bulletins (54)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls 2024-01-16 · B510819 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
Electrical System 2024-01-11 · B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the electrical system of bmw vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. this has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. this document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle ã¢ââdischarged batteryã¢ââ complaints.
Fuel System, Gasoline 2023-12-20 · B160623 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
engine will crank but not start. there is no communication with the integrated fuel module (tfe) whendiagnosing with ista. the following two fault codes will be stored in the dme: 032b43 - low fuel pressure system, electric fuel pump: pressure value too low cda594 - message (- 0x33e) missing, rec
Equipment 2023-11-22 · B653423 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
customers may state that the alarm system (dwa) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle. depending on the vehicleã¢ââs equipment and settings, no acoustic or optical confirmation (folding the mirrors/blinking confirmation) is noticeable. additionally, the red anti-theft alarm led in
Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar 2021-04-01 · B340414 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
diagnosis of compound brake system complaints in m vehicles: 1. visible cracks are caused by high thermal stresses during rapid heating and cooling of the brake discs. braking from high speed with cold brake components (less than 212 degrees f) increases the likelihood of cracks to form.
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility 2020-10-01 · B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
discharged battery energy diagnosis must be performed: the electrical system of bmw vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. this has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. this document covers important information for the dealer on how to
Showing the 6 most recent of 54 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2023-03-29 · Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery · 154,000 mi · 🔥 fire“the contact owns a 2006 bmw 525xi. the contact stated while driving 50 mph, the contact smelled the odor of burning coming from the vehicle, and the contact noticed smoke coming from the trunk of the vehicle. the contact pulled over and notice that smoking was coming from the battery. the contact was able to stop the smoke. the vehicle would not re…”
2022-05-09 · Engine“the engine overheated on january 27, 2022 and a warning appeared on the dash to pull over and turn off the engine. it was then towed to a repair facility, where it was determined that overheating caused the failure of radiater hoses, loss of coolant, and other damages. repairs cost $2574.56 on january 29, 2022. when i contacted bmw and the deale…”
2022-05-02 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 119,000 mi“the contact owns a 2006 bmw 525xi. the contact stated that the vehicle was overheating while driving. the coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the thermostat and radiator were replaced; however, the failure persisted. the vehicle was taken back to an independent mechanic where it …”
2022-01-12 · Seats · 🔥 fire“driver side seat mysteriously burned. not sure how. seat warmers were not on at the time.…”
2019-02-12 · Power Train“while driving on the interstate with speed limit 70 mph, a warning message appeared transmission failure & reduce speed. the car slowed down itself while ongoing traffic approached extremely fast. my car would not accelerate to the 5th or 6th gear. i had to i get off the interstate as quickly as i could. in a panic i called aaa to tow my car. think…”
2017-11-17 · Electrical System · 150,000 mi“computer drawing down battery and car will not start seems to happen more when it's damp and raining this happens when the car is parked passenger airbag light is on bmw would like $2500. to reboot computer i think its a scam…”
2017-03-23 · Service Brakes · 40,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2006 bmw 525xi. the contact stated that while driving at various low speeds, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the brake booster failed and needed to be repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified…”
2017-03-10 · Electrical System · 150,000 mi“my bmw was parked outside a restaurant in overland park, ks, at lunch time on march 7, 2017. auto was locked and all windows and skylight were closed. when i returned to my car after lunch, the car was unlocked and all windows and skylight were open. the key was in my purse and was untouched. possible theft attempt?…”
2017-01-04 · Seat Belts · 300,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2006 bmw 525xi. while an occupant was seated in the front passenger seat the air bag and seat belt warning indicators illuminated, indicating that the air bags and seat belt were inoperable the dealer diagnosed that the passenger seat detection mat needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not…”
2016-12-24 · Service Brakes“the brake lines rusted through and lost fluid very quickly as i was driving. i was able to make it to a garage, driving very carefully. why are the brake lines made of a material which rusts? the garage told me the vehicle was unsafe to drive until the brake lines were replaced. the cost was $491.88. …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.