1999 BMW 540Iat

Routine

Owners filed 3 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train › automatic transmission. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails

Component	Reports		Crashes	Fires	Injuries
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip › Control Unit/Module	1		0	0	0
Power Train › Automatic Transmission	1		0	0	0
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly	1		0	0	0

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports

Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery › Cables99V004000

Filed Jan 4, 19991,615 vehiclesBayerische Motoren Werke

Defect. 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.

Risk. THE CABLE INSULATION CAN BE WORN AWAY, EXPOSING THE WIRE. THE WIRE COULD CONTACT THE CLIP OR A SHORT CIRCUIT COULD OCCUR.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL APPLY A THICKNESS OF INSULATING TAPE TO THE CABLE IN THE AREA OF THE CLIP, AND INSTALL A REVISED CLIP.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission99V005000

Filed Jan 4, 1999249 vehiclesBayerische Motoren Werke

Defect. 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.

Risk. IF THIS PROBLEM OCCURS, THE CAR MAY NO LONGER OPERATE IN REVERSE, 1ST, 2ND, OR 3RD GEARS.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

What owners reported

Newest filings

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip › Control Unit/Module

Filed Mar 17, 2004PA

COMPLETE ABS FAILURE WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS. THE ABS CONTROL MODULE CONTROLLED EACH WHEEL DIFFERENTLY AT DIFFERENT TIMES, CAUSING THE CAR TO BUCK WILDLY AT HIGHWAY SAFE SPEEDS. WHILE BRAKING, THE CONTROLLER WENT BAD (WAS REPORTED TO DEALER PREVIOUSLY AND TOLD IT WAS THE BRAKE PADS - CHANGED AND STILL HAD ISSUE) , LOCKED UP THE REAR WHEELS, CAUSED SLIDING CONDITION IN TRAFFIC, NEARLY COLLIDING WITH OTHER CARS AND UNDERPASS BARRICADE. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIME AND HAS BEEN REPORTED TO DEALER (NONE AT SPEEDS - 10 MPH OR UNDER - CONTROLLABLE AT THOSE SPEEDS). *NM

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly

Filed Nov 10, 200361,000 milesPA

RADIATOR FAILURE ON 1999 540 TOURING - DISABLES THE VEHICLE NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE FROM RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WHERE THE PANIC COULD ENDANGER OTHER DRIVERS, TO THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE IN THE DEAD OF WINTER BY YOURSELF. *AK - STEAM FROM FAILED RADIATOR BLOCKS VISION OF THE ROAD, OR WHATEVER ELSE IS IN THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT CORNER OF THE VEHICLE. - FAILURE CAN NOT BE PREDICTED BY VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE RADIATOR.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission

Filed Feb 14, 2001MA

I HAVE EXPERIENCED AN OCCASIONAL HARD DOWNSHIFT OR CLUNK WHEN SLOWING MY VEHICLE AND THEN BRISKLY ACCELERATING. THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE PROBLEM REPORTED IN SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 240300.*AK

3 of 3 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1999

Year	Complaints	Recalls	Assessment
2001	0	1	Routine
2000	2	0	Routine
1999 — this page	3	2	Routine

Compare every 540Iat year →

Other BMW models

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Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Jan 4, 1999. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.