Bmw 525i 2001
Model 525i made in 2001 by Bmw got 24 consumer complains there are 3 recalls as well as 2 service bulletins. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to air bags, electrical system and electronic stability control. Technical service bulletines regarding exterior lighting. There were some recalls concerningair bags, engine and engine cooling. The car has one 2.5 engine.
Model 2001
| Engine [L] | Cylinders | Transmission | Drive | Estimate MPG (city/highway/combined) | Unadjusted MPG (city/highway/combined) | Fuel | Fuel cost | Class | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 | 6 | Manual, 5 gears | R | 20/29/24 | 22,6367/37,6419/27,5850 | Premium | 970 | COMPACT CARS | |
| 2.5 | 6 | Semiautomatic, 5 gears | R | 19/27/22 | 21,2993/34,4096/25,7068 | Premium | 1058 | COMPACT CARS |
Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE | ||||||||||||||||
| 03V421000 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | from 01/01/2001 to 08/31/2001 | V (Vehicle) | 23000 | 11/10/2003 | MFR | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 10/24/2003 | 10/30/2003 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | On certain passenger vehicles, a microprocessor in the air bag control module, which activates the front air bags, the side air bags, the front seat safety belt pretensioners, and the battery safety terminal, may have a malfunction that could lead to an unintended activation of one or more of these components. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Unexpected deployment of the air bag(s) could cause serious injury if an occupant is too close to the deploying air bag(s). in addition, the battery safety terminal may also be activated. if that happens, the starter cable would become disconnected from the battery, and the engine could not be restarted. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will replace the air bag control module. owner notification began november10, 2003. owners should contact bmw at 1-800-831-1117. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration | |||||||||||||||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - FAN | ||||||||||||||||
| 01V206000 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | from 01/16/2001 to 06/18/2001 | V (Vehicle) | 76469 | 09/28/2001 | MFR | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 06/21/2001 | 07/02/2001 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. the engine auxiliary/cooling fan operation, including variable speed, is electronically controlled. failure of the fan motor can cause the electrical circuitry of the fan control unit to overload and fail, causing the fan to stop operating. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If this were to occur, engine overheating and subsequent engine damage could result. in addition, it is possible for the failure of the electrical circuitry to cause a fire in the fan control unit located in the front of the engine compartment. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will replace the fan. owner notification began september 28, 2001. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact bmw at 1-800-831-1117. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236). | |||||||||||||||
| 02V138000 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | V (Vehicle) | 1550 | MFR | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 05/16/2002 | 05/20/2002 | |||||||||
| Defect Summary | On certain passenger vehicles, the engine auxiliary/cooling fan operation, including variable speed, is electronically controlled. failure of the fan motor can cause the electrical circuitry of the fan control unit to overload and fail, causing the fan to stop operating. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If this were to occur, engine overheating and subsequent engine damage could result. in addition, it is possible for the failure of the electrical circuitry to cause a fire in the fan control unit located in the front of the engine compartment. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will replace the fan. owner notification began september 28, 2001. this is a supplement to a recall that began during september 2001 (see recall campaign 01v206). owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact bmw at 1-800-831-1117. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236). | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | |||||
| SIB-63-02-01 | 08/01/2010 | 10037025 | Ready | 04/27/2011 | |
| SIB-63-02-01 | 08/01/2010 | 10037025 | Bmw: procedure for determining and replacing incandescent and halogen light bulbs under warranty. *rm | 04/27/2011 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||
| 12/19/2001 | 1 | ||
| I purchased my used 2001 bmw e39 525i two yrs ago with many issues as expected when i learned it was a lease, prior owner never maintained the vehicle. i began to experience for months airbag light on. paid for months having it reset, then i finally i started a search to locate a recall for airbag module for this model. i called bmw north america immediately that i'm the new owner (they had no record of who was the owner) i was given direction how to handle, vehicle taken to a service center, repaired made. two months late, airbag light on again, paid for another diagnostic, this time to be told something different, stage 1-resistance too high. what is that? i was told the airbag and it's components were tested, did not find anything defected, code reset, all ok but was told if airbag light come again, strong possibility driver wheel airbag will need to be replace which is unusual. the next day, the light back on. back to the svc center, told it needs to be replaced, if not, the chances are the airbag may not deploy. i'm quite upset. that evening of 12/19/09, i started searching, came across several blogging sites about bmw airbag. i came across 18 owners with the same make,model and yr having the same issue. i immediately called bmw north america with my finding, there is no recall on and nothing they can do unless safety is involved. i emphasized my concern of what i have read and what i have been told by the svc tech about not deploying. i need your assistance, what are the steps for nhtsa to conduct a investigation on this? i contacted a rep with bmw north america again 12/28/09, anything you can do, reply, no. i feel this is a serious matter. i asking your assistance if there are any records in your organization of owners with the identical model, make and yr that have been involved in a mva and their driver wheel airbag did not deploy properly and maybe were not aware of a fault issue in this model? *tr | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| 08/22/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving at 20 mph and making left turning consumer's vehicle was involved in a collision. upon impact, neither the side or front driver air bag deployed. driver sustained chest, shoulders, and arm injuries from impacting the steering wheel. *ak | |||
| AIR BAGS - SIDE/WINDOW | |||
| 08/22/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving at 20 mph and making left turning consumer's vehicle was involved in a collision. upon impact, neither the side or front driver air bag deployed. driver sustained chest, shoulders, and arm injuries from impacting the steering wheel. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||
| 02/27/2005 | 41200 | 1 | 01/05/2001 |
| Alternator failure (of a 525i bmw 2001) due to the entrance of leaves and dirty through the cooling hose of the alternator and getting into the electrical parts of the alternator (iodes). this lead to fire and damage of the alternator. the hose is aproximately 2.5 in. and it doesn't have any filter to clean the air or avoid particles to come in. | |||
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL | |||
| 02/13/2009 | 109000 | 1 | |
| Abs / dsc control unit failure . traction control light on all the time , stability control is inoperable. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 11/10/2010 | 166000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2001 bmw 525i. while the contact was driving approximately 50 mph the vehicles engine light illuminated. the contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle and waited 2 hours before turning the vehicle back on and taking the vehicle to independent mechanic. the technician stated the engine cooling fan had stopped working and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate mileage was 166,000. ds | |||
| 11/19/2010 | 60000 | ||
| Upon arriving home from 4 mile round trip light city traffic (25 mph ave speed), and entering base of my driveway, my well-serviced 2001 bmw 525i (60,000 miles) suddenly lost power steering, engine quit, battery warning lighting, and service engine soon light came on, and loud clanging noise came from engine compartment. restarted car to pull from street into my driveway and smoke starting coming out of engine compartment. shut car off and opened hood, saw steam coming out of cooling system expansion tank which had cracked. no more than 2 minutes occurred from time problem started until engine shut off. upon investigation, all belts were shredded and belt pulley disc had come off and was sitting at bottom of engine compartment. had car towed to bmw dealer next day. although no injuries and car is covered by warranty, i am reporting as safety problem as dealer said that problem could have happened while driving on highway, which would have been castostrophic with engine suddenly quitting and loss of powe steering. dealer says that unusual ithat belt pulley would fail and simultaneous crack would occur in cooling expansion tank, although would seem logical to me that loss of water pump function would cause heat/pressure back up and cause tank to blow. dealer says problem is due to wear on pulley rotator, which would cause wobbling over time. my safety concern is that there was absolutely no warning, car had been running smoothly with no indication of wobbling belt (total service 3,000 miles prior) and this was very sudden. pulley should not come off -- somebody could be killed. new fan was installed in dec 2001 per recall. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||
| 08/10/2003 | 16000 | 1 | 08/08/2001 |
| I have 2001 bmw 525i. i went to dealer service so many times to fix my problem concern. they won't fix it and said that no customers complaint duplicated all the times. after done my first 15000 miles service at dealer, eml lights came up and i sent my car to dealer immidiately. they changed trottle body because they said, it's burned. after that repair, my car has alignment, trottle, accelation and transmission problems. also they replace the fan by recall. now my car conditions are poor. i press the gas peddal for accelation, rpm's going high and big idle sound i can hear. and, over 80 degree temp. big big idles. also decelation is not working. speed won't reduce until i braked. car riding quality's getting poor and poor. suspension can't absorb roads bumps. at the same time, i hear so many clicking noise from door frames. it feels like where i drive at off-road. also, i checked alignment by machine. it was really off-set. the camber, cast and toe was bad. they perform the alignment job. but still poor. i suffer with those problems about a year already. recently i felt that steering wheel is shaking and i felt a vibration from from floor of driver side. also badly, front low head beam is too dim and not blighter than before. it cause, hard to drive at night. i think, my car has engine, transmission, trottle and some junction problem from engine thru axle. today i catch another thing. when i turn on the engine, i heard ruffle sound from bottom of engine room and big engine noise. please review my compliant and what really should do?*ak | |||
| EQUIPMENT - OTHER - OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL | |||
| 1 | |||
| The consumer purchased vehicle based on information stated in brochure that the vehicle was installed with rear side airbags option which also included rear head protection airbag, it turns out only the sedan is equipped with the additional head protection airbag, owners manual information is not stated properly. nlm | |||
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 09/02/2001 | |||
| Odometer on vehicle is not reading speed correctly. contacted dealer, and the dealer was not willing to do anything.ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||
| 10/25/2008 | 74900 | 1 | |
| When applying brakes when wet, brake pedal becomes very hard to push. a squishing sound can be heard as the brake is applied and pedal moves to the floor board. only happens when brake is very wet (coming out of carwash, also happened a number of times during a hard rain.) took a great deal of effort to push down on brake pedal and bring car to a stop. *tr | |||
| STEERING | |||
| 11/19/2010 | 60000 | ||
| Upon arriving home from 4 mile round trip light city traffic (25 mph ave speed), and entering base of my driveway, my well-serviced 2001 bmw 525i (60,000 miles) suddenly lost power steering, engine quit, battery warning lighting, and service engine soon light came on, and loud clanging noise came from engine compartment. restarted car to pull from street into my driveway and smoke starting coming out of engine compartment. shut car off and opened hood, saw steam coming out of cooling system expansion tank which had cracked. no more than 2 minutes occurred from time problem started until engine shut off. upon investigation, all belts were shredded and belt pulley disc had come off and was sitting at bottom of engine compartment. had car towed to bmw dealer next day. although no injuries and car is covered by warranty, i am reporting as safety problem as dealer said that problem could have happened while driving on highway, which would have been castostrophic with engine suddenly quitting and loss of powe steering. dealer says that unusual ithat belt pulley would fail and simultaneous crack would occur in cooling expansion tank, although would seem logical to me that loss of water pump function would cause heat/pressure back up and cause tank to blow. dealer says problem is due to wear on pulley rotator, which would cause wobbling over time. my safety concern is that there was absolutely no warning, car had been running smoothly with no indication of wobbling belt (total service 3,000 miles prior) and this was very sudden. pulley should not come off -- somebody could be killed. new fan was installed in dec 2001 per recall. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 08/01/2001 | 3 | 01/01/2001 | |
| Re: bmw 525i wagon with sports package. caster in front wheels permanently maladjusted such that at about 8,000miles severe cupping is caused on inside of tire tread, resulting in major road noise and possible safety issue. only fix is to replace tires. have done so twice. informed by knowledgable persons that this is a problem in many of these models. | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | |||
| 10/01/2003 | 40000 | 4 | 02/02/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 bmw 525i. the contact stated that the vehicle accelerated without warning when he shifted into drive. he had to shut off the vehicle in order for it to stop. the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. as of october 31, 2007, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the failure mileage was 40,000 and current mileage was 70,000. updated 11/15/07 *tr | |||
Car dealers selling
| State | City | Zip | Name | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PR | SAN JUAN | 00919-5406 | AUTO GERMANA | 787-765-4000 |