2004 BMW 525i Recalls

No recalls on record Updated July 2026

No NHTSA recalls on record for the 2004 BMW 525i. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 123 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS
27
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
17
7fires1injuries
SEATS
16
10fires1injuries
SEAT BELTS
13
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
6
POWER TRAIN
4
1fires
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
3
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
2
ENGINE
2
Total complaints123

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“On dec.2 my 2004 bmw 525i was sitting outside my house when it cought on fire at the fuse panel in the trunk on the right fender well. The car had been driven over 100 miles that day. My step-daughter had gotten home at midnight and parked the car. She said the car was fine when she got home at…”

STRUCTURE:BODY · reported 2018-12-02

“On dec.2 my 2004 bmw 525i was sitting outside my house when it cought on fire at the fuse panel in the trunk on the right fender well. The car had been driven over 100 miles that day. My step-daughter had gotten home at midnight and parked the car. She said the car was fine when she got home at…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2018-12-02

“Tl* the contact owned a 2004 bmw 525i. While the vehicle was parked in the garage, a neighbor noticed that the vehicle was on fire. The fire department was called and extinguished the fire. The fire department stated that the fire was due to a faulty battery cable. The contact stated that the…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES · reported 2018-05-17

“Micro power module (mpm) started smoking while driving, causing erratic engine rpm, and causing smoke inside cabin and burnt electronics smell. Complete loss of radio and idrive functionality. Module is located in trunk under the spare tire. Notified bmw of north america, and they just said that…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2017-07-20

“Passenger restraint system warning appears each time we get into the vehicle and start the ignition. Airbag deployment red icon constantly illuminated on the dashboard. The air conditioning system is not working properly. The car does not cool or get cold until the car is in motion. We had a…”

AIR BAGS · reported 2017-05-01

“Passenger restraint system warning appears each time we get into the vehicle and start the ignition. Airbag deployment red icon constantly illuminated on the dashboard. The air conditioning system is not working properly. The car does not cool or get cold until the car is in motion. We had a…”

SEAT BELTS · reported 2017-05-01

“Passenger restraint system warning appears each time we get into the vehicle and start the ignition. Airbag deployment red icon constantly illuminated on the dashboard. The air conditioning system is not working properly. The car does not cool or get cold until the car is in motion. We had a…”

UNKNOWN OR OTHER · reported 2017-05-01

“Literally a couple weeks ago my drivers side seat caught on fire burning a very deep hole through to the front of the seat and burning a hole in my jacked then burning my skin. Immediately I notified bmw who was extremely accommodating even helping me schedule a repair appointment.. Then the…”

SEATS · reported 2017-01-23

Defect investigations

Investigation EA08001 Opened 2008-01-04 · closed 2008-12-31

BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATION

BMW IS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN ON APPROXIMATELY 200,000 MY04 THROUGH MY06 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH 11/30/05 TO CORRECT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT. THE SPECIFIC VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AREMY04- 06/ 5-SERIES WITH STANDARD AND SPORT SEATS, MY04-06/ X3-SERIES AND…

Investigation EA08001 Opened 2008-01-04 · closed 2008-12-31

BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATION

BMW IS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN ON APPROXIMATELY 200,000 MY04 THROUGH MY06 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH 11/30/05 TO CORRECT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT. THE SPECIFIC VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AREMY04- 06/ 5-SERIES WITH STANDARD AND SPORT SEATS, MY04-06/ X3-SERIES AND…

Investigation EA08001 Opened 2008-01-04 · closed 2008-12-31

BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATION

BMW IS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN ON APPROXIMATELY 200,000 MY04 THROUGH MY06 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH 11/30/05 TO CORRECT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT. THE SPECIFIC VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AREMY04- 06/ 5-SERIES WITH STANDARD AND SPORT SEATS, MY04-06/ X3-SERIES AND…

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2004 BMW 525i as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.