Vehicle safety record

2002 BMW 540I Problems, complaints & recalls

No owner complaints about the 2002 BMW 540I have been filed with NHTSA. It is covered by 2 recalls, the latest in January 2019 for the inflator module.

Share your experience See 2 recalls

NHTSA data checked yesterday

50/100Safety Index

CAbout as many problems as a typical 540I year, for its age

Complaints: 0
Recalls: 2
Crashes: 0
Fires: 0
Injuries: 0
Deaths: 0

2002 BMW 540I recalls 2

Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do

Air bags: inflator module

19V015000Jan 14, 2019157,549 vehicles affected

Do not drive

The problem: 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.
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: 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.

Air bags: inflator module

15V318000May 28, 2015419,235 vehicles affected

Do not drive

The problem: 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.
The 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.
The fix: 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.

What owners say

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No complaints about the 2002 BMW 540I yet

No owner has filed a complaint about this vehicle with NHTSA. If yours has a problem, share it here and report it to NHTSA.

BMW 540I: every year compared

'89 '90 '91 '92 '93 '94 '95 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 0'02 '03 '17 '18 '19 '20 '21 '22 '23 '24

Year	Complaints	Recalls	Crashes	Top problem	Grade
2003	0	2	0	-	C
2002	0	2	0	-	C
2001	0	4	0	-	D
2000	0	2	0	-	C
1999	22	1	1	Engine & cooling	F
1998	26	1	0	Engine & cooling	F

All 540I years

2002 BMW 540I vs rivals

Vehicle	Complaints	Recalls	Crashes	Grade
2002 BMW 540I	0	2	0	C
2002 BMW 3 Series	442	0	18	F	Compare
2002 BMW 7 Series	100	1	6	C	Compare
2002 BMW 5 Series Sport Wagon	98	0	8	-	Compare
2002 BMW M3 Convertible	90	0	4	C	Compare
2002 BMW M3 Coupe	84	0	4	-	Compare
2002 BMW K1200LT	37	0	1	D	Compare
2002 BMW R1150GS	21	1	0	F	Compare
2002 BMW M5	19	2	1	F	Compare

More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.

Questions about the 2002 BMW 540I

Does the 2002 BMW 540I have any recalls?

Yes - NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2002 BMW 540I: inflator module (January 2019); inflator module (May 2015). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.

How many complaints has the 2002 BMW 540I had?

None have been filed with NHTSA so far.

Is the 2002 BMW 540I a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 50 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical BMW 540I year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.

Which BMW 540I years have the most complaints?

1997 (27), 1998 (26), 1999 (22). See every BMW 540I year compared.

What should I do if my 2002 BMW 540I has a problem?

If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked yesterday. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data