Bayerische Motoren Werke: Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery › Cables
Bayerische Motoren Werke reported this defect to federal regulators on Jan 4, 1999 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 1,615. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The 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.
The risk
THE CABLE INSULATION CAN BE WORN AWAY, EXPOSING THE WIRE. THE WIRE COULD CONTACT THE CLIP OR A SHORT CIRCUIT COULD OCCUR.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL APPLY A THICKNESS OF INSULATING TAPE TO THE CABLE IN THE AREA OF THE CLIP, AND INSTALL A REVISED CLIP.
5 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 BMW 540i | 22 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1999 BMW 540Ia | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1999 BMW 540Iat | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 BMW 740Ia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 BMW 740Ila | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 99V004000.
Full record for the 1999 BMW 540i → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →