BMW 540iYears to avoid, problems & recalls
Based on 253 NHTSA owner complaints across 23 model years, no BMW 540i year stands out as one to avoid, and the strongest years are 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2018. The 540i has 23 safety recalls on record.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports. Updated daily. How we score years. Photo: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0.
BMW 540i years to avoid
Complaints by model year, colored by the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the 540i median. Tap a year for its full report.
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
Most common BMW 540i problems
All model years combined: 253 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and engine cooling | 50 | 2 |
| Air bags | 42 | 5 |
| Electrical system | 42 | 6 |
| Power train | 29 | 2 |
| Seats | 19 | 1 |
| Seat belts | 18 | 1 |
| Engine | 17 | 2 |
| Steering | 17 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 10 | 4 |
| 20 other systems | 79 | 11 |
BMW 540i recalls
Newest first. The ring shows the share of affected vehicles repaired, from the manufacturer's latest report to NHTSA.
Showing the 12 newest of 23 recalls. Each model-year page lists all recalls for that year.
NHTSA investigations of the 540i
- Driveshaft to rear differential connection failureNo recall
- Pedestrian alert soundsLed to recall 22V-063
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureOpen