On certain passenger vehicles, a microprocessor in the air bag control module, which activates the front air bags, the side air bags, the front seat safety belt pretensioners, and the battery safety terminal, may have a malfunction that could lead to an...
1989-2002 · 11 model years
BMW 540IA Problems by year
Owners have filed 13 complaints about the BMW 540IA across 11 model years, and it has 8 recalls. The 1999 has the most complaints once its age is allowed for (10). The most reported problem area is the engine & cooling, followed by the transmission & drivetrain.
- Complaints
- 13
- Recalls
- 8
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
540IA complaints by model year
Highlighted: the year with the most complaints for its age. Older vehicles have had more time to collect complaints - the Safety Index grade allows for that.
Most common 540IA problems
BMW 540IA recalls 8
On certain passenger vehicles, the engine auxiliary/cooling fan operation, including variable speed, is electronically controlled. Failure of the fan motor can cause the electrical circuitry of the fan control unit to overload and fail, causing the fan to...
Vehicle description: during the tire mounting process on certain passenger vehicles built with standard (non-sport) suspension and equipped with continental contitouringcontact ch95 ecoplus tires, size 225/65r16 95h, having dot codes 4001, 4101, or 4201, the...
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The engine auxiliary/cooling fan operation, including variable speed, is electronically controlled. Failure of the fan motor can cause the electrical circuitry of the fan control unit to overload and fail, causing...
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with a 5hp24 automatic transmission. Premature wear of the ring gear can occur, leading to the loss of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and reverse gears.
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The thickness of the main positive electrical cable (generator to starter) insulation is less than specified, making it susceptible to being abraded or cut by the clip that secures the cable to the generator.
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A malfunction or failure of a coolant system component, such as a thermostat, water pump, or fan belt, can result in significantly increased coolant temperature and system pressure. If the indications of a critical...
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The differential pinion shaft within the differential case assembly was produced without the appropriate surface hardening. This can result in the shaft experiencing premature wear.
Latest 540IA complaints
I have a 1999 540i and the reverse has stopped working completely. The forward gears work perfectly but the reverse suddenly stopped working. I have read many similar stories. *Tr
My 1999 bmw 540i sport caught fire 12/19/08 while it was sitting in the driveway of my home. I noticed flames about 1:30 am coming from the sides of the hood. I had driven the car to dinner that night and it was parked and locked in my driveway. I just happened to notice the flames through the window of my house. Called fire department and car was totally burned and melted. Only the rear trunk area was left. I could find no mention of this type of fire occurring on the websites of consumer complaints. No...
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recalls that I could find. My car was well maintained while I had it. The previous owner had good records also. I had only owned it about 6 months. It was bought from the previous owner. *Tr
Tl*- the contact owns a 1999 bmw 540ia with failure mileage of 100,000 miles. The contact stated that while driving at 40 mph he began having problems with the transmission. The contact stated that the gears began to function improperly, and could not be operated in 1st through reverse gears. The contact took the vehicle to the bmw dealer, where they stated that there was nothing that they would do to fix the recall. They refused to repair the vehicle without cost because the recall was issued by nhtsa and not...
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by them. The contact stated that as of 4-13-07 the dealer has had the vehicle for over a month, and wanted to charge him $5,000, even though the failure was due to the recall. The current mileage was 140,000.*Ak
I had troubles with my abs module unit that is attached to my bmw 1999 540ia. I have become aware that this is a common problem that disables the abs control of my car and many other same model cars as mine. I had to replace the part myself due to no recall or acceptance from bmw that this is a major problem with a safety feature on my and many other bmw's similar to mine. The failure occured out of the nowhere and the resulting problem is that the unit would go off after car would warm up then eventually...
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over time the unit completely fails and disables the cars anti braking system. The unit was replaced by me after numerous times to get bmwna or anyone from bmw to do anything about the problem with my unit. The new part cost me about $700 and the labor was about $60 to get it installed and programmed from teh bmw dealer around here. I have my old part if that helps but it is of no use. Thx michael d. Karr. *Nm
Radiator cracked at top hose inlet causing loss of coolant
1) Check coolant level warning light came on twice in 1 week. Kuni bmw conducted my factory inspection ii service only 2 months before this occured. ) Radiator cracked where the upper hose enters the radiator, leaking fluid into the engine bay and ground. 3) Replace the radiator. This is a well know defect on this vehicle - why doesn't bmw do something about this?*Ak
Questions about the BMW 540IA
Which BMW 540IA years have the most problems?
What are the most common BMW 540IA problems?
Across every model year, owners report problems with the engine & cooling (8), transmission & drivetrain (2), equipment & accessories (1) most often.
How many recalls does the BMW 540IA have?
NHTSA lists 8 recalls across all BMW 540IA model years. Each year's page lists the recalls for that year; check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether the repair has been done.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data