Bad air bag
2003 BMW 525I airbags problems
10 complaints (31% of all complaints for this car). 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 10
- of this car's complaints
- 31%
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 2
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
BMW 525I airbags problems in other years
Related recalls
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2000-2003 525i Sedan, 530i Sedan, 540i Sedan, 2001-2003 525i Sports Wagon and 540i Sports Wagon vehicles, and 2000-2004 X5 SAV 3.0i, X5 SAV 4.4i, and X5 SAV 4.6is vehicles. This recall affects certain vehicles where the original steering wheel has been replaced with the optional sports steering wheel. The sports steering wheel has a frontal air bag inflator that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle for an optional sports steering wheel with an affected inflator. Dealers will replace the air bag module as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 14, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 19V015000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i, and 330xi Sedans, and 325xi and 325i Sportswagons, 2002-2006 330Ci, 325Ci, and M3 Convertibles and 325i, 330i, and M3 Coupes, 2002-2003 M5, 540i, 525i Sedan, and 530i Sedans, and 540i and 525i Sportswagons, and 2003 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity Vehicles. Please note that the 5-series and X5 vehicles are only included if they are equipped with the optional sports steering wheel. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began Aug 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V‑348 in its entirety. Additionally, vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously as part of a recall remedy need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well. Note: On December 17, 2015 BMW removed the model year 2004 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity vehicle from this recall. Those vehicles were mistakenly identified as including the air bags that are subject to this recall.
Recall number 15V318000 · Recall details
What 2003 BMW 525I owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 bmw 525i. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v318000 (air bags) and stated that the part was not available within a reasonable time frame to schedule the recall repair. The dealer did not give a specific date for when the part would become available. The contact was not experiencing a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. Updated 05/11/16*lj
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 bmw 525i. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v318000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 bmw 525i. The contact received a recall notification for the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v318000 (air bags) and stated that the part needed was unavailable to perform the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 bmw 525i. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v318000 (air bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 bmw 525i. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v428000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 bmw 525i. While driving 40 MPH, the driver veered and crashed into a curb. The driver side air bags failed to deploy, the passenger side door air bag deployed, but the passenger side head liner air bag did not fully deploy. The air bag warning light illuminated. There were no injuries. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the air bags needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the vehicle was inspected by an engineer from the manufacturer who stated that the air bags worked as intended. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000. Updated 12/03/15*lj
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 bmw 525i. The contact stated that while starting the ignition the air bag warning light illuminated until the engine was turned off. The failure recurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 bmw 525i. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the front and rear air bags on the driver side suddenly deployed. The contact noticed that the hazard lights blinked and the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel after the failure. The contact pulled over and shut the vehicle off. The driver sustained injuries. A police report was made. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer but the failure could not be diagnosed. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000 and the current mileage is approximately 59,000. Updated evoq 01/04/11 updated 01/14/11 *bf the police report refused the consumers request for an accident report as the officer stated there was no damage to the consumers vehicle. Updated 04/19/11
Passenger seat air bag sensor failure, sensor in seat needs to be replaced or air bag will not function.
Questions about the 2003 BMW 525I airbags
Does the 2003 BMW 525I have airbags problems?
Owners have filed 10 complaints about the airbags of the 2003 BMW 525I, 31% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2003 BMW 525I airbags problems start?
Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.
Was there a recall on the 2003 BMW 525I airbags?
Yes, 2 recalls: 19V015000, 15V318000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the BMW 525I have bad airbags?
The BMW 525I model years with the most airbags complaints are 2006 (44 complaints), 2004 (33 complaints) and 2007 (25 complaints).
Other 2003 BMW 525I problems
Electrical 8Lights 4Seats 3Visibility 3Acceleration 2Seat belts 2Body 1Brakes 1Engine 1Locks 1Steering 1Transmission 1
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