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2009 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 →
1Owner complaints

Model-year median: 11

1Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

View investigation details →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
77
200672
20071
20081
20090
20100
2011
Compare all 525I years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Electrical System
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 1 of 1 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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.

  • Electrical System. Review the 1 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 reports1 fire reports0 injury reports

What owners actually said

1 reports
123,000 miles · Nov 28, 2017
Electrical SystemFire

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE, SUDDENLY WE BEGAN TO SMELL 'SOMETHING' BURNING, AND THEN THE IDRIVE SYSTEM DISPLAYED A BATTERY ICON LIGHT FOLLOWED BY THE MESSAGE "CHARGING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION" AND CONTROL MESSAGES WARNING "YOUR BATTERY IS NOT BEING CHARGED". SECONDS AFTER THAT MESSAGE THE POWER IN THE VEHICLE BEGAN SURGING, AN…

Read full complaint

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE, SUDDENLY WE BEGAN TO SMELL 'SOMETHING' BURNING, AND THEN THE IDRIVE SYSTEM DISPLAYED A BATTERY ICON LIGHT FOLLOWED BY THE MESSAGE "CHARGING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION" AND CONTROL MESSAGES WARNING "YOUR BATTERY IS NOT BEING CHARGED". SECONDS AFTER THAT MESSAGE THE POWER IN THE VEHICLE BEGAN SURGING, AND ANOTHER MESSAGE DISPLAYED "4X4 SYSTEM AND DSC HAVE MALFUNCTIONED". AT THIS POINT WE WERE PULLING OVER, AND THE CAB OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN FILLING WITH SMOKE. THE 4 OF US EXITED THE VEHICLE AND WITNESSED FLAMES AND SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE BONNET. WE MANAGED TO MOVE SAFELY AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE AND CALL FOR HELP AS IT WENT UP IN FLAMES - BURNING COMPLETELY (BUMPER TO BUMPERR). IT HAS BEEN DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS.

NHTSA ODI #11051020

Official recalls

1

17V683000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:crankcase (pcv)

Oct 30, 2017

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2011 128i and 2007-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi, X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive30i, Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PCV valve heater, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notification by the end of October 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.