Vehicle report
2005 BMW 525I
This model year
What the record shows
The 2005 Bmw 525i is a midsize car, and the 17th model year of a nameplate NHTSA records from 1989 to 2011.
The EPA rated two configurations: a single 2.5-litre six-cylinder engine, rear-wheel drive only, two transmissions and running on premium gasoline.
Combined fuel economy is 20 mpg.
The federal record holds 35 owner complaints and 42 service bulletins for it.
Counts are reports, not rates. A complaint is something an owner chose to file; it is unverified and unadjusted for how many of these cars were sold, so the useful comparison is against other model years of the same car. Recalls and investigations carry more weight because a manufacturer or regulator acted on them.
Reading this report
Complaint counts are reports filed with NHTSA, not failure rates. A common model collects more of them than a rare one that breaks more often.