"How reliable is the 1992 Bmw 525I?"

"Based on 30 NHTSA complaints, the 1992 Bmw 525I has a median complaint mileage of 122500 miles. The most common issue is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM."

"What are common problems with the 1992 Bmw 525I?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1992 Bmw 525I is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM, accounting for a significant portion of the 30 total complaints filed."

1992 Bmw 525I: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 30 complaints

Total Complaints

122,500mi

Median Mileage

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

98,250 25th Percentile

122,500 Median Mileage

142,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

AIR BAGS

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"SMOKE CAME FROM AIR VENTS WHILE DRIVING. CAR CABIN IGNITED IN FLAMES AFTER GETTING OUT OF CAR."

"EXHAUST HANGERS FALL OFF CAUSING THE EXHAUST SYSTEM TO HIT AGAINST THE FRAME. MJS"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

RI: 11 CA: 7 PA: 3 VA: 2 IL: 2 GA: 2 TX: 1 AZ: 1 MI: 1

Who Files Complaints?

50%

Original Owners

50%

Second+ Owners

Bmw 525I — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1990	51	-	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY	1
1991	21	-	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM	0
1995	37	129,906	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	1
2001	31	94,495	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	3
2002	41	48,000	AIR BAGS	0
2003	40	45,000	AIR BAGS	3
2004	123	89,627	AIR BAGS	0
2005	52	92,200	AIR BAGS	0
2006	111	99,500	AIR BAGS	0
2007	98	75,000	AIR BAGS	3

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28