2000 BMW 540I Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 540I years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 17 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA about the 2000 BMW 540I. That is the most of any 540I model year in the database (17 years). The most reported problem area is air bags (8 complaints, 26%), typically at around 43,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 2 fires, 3 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 31owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2000 BMW 540I problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 8 | 26% | 43,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 8 | 26% | 97,150 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 26% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 10% | 101,511 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 6% | 155,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 6% | 104,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 3% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2000 BMW 540I recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator moduleDo not drive
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.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The brake lamps in these vehicles are controlled by a switch activated by the movement of the brake pedal. This switch could fail internally, causing it to remain either in the "brake lamps off" position or in the "brake lamps on" position.
Risk: If this happens, the brake lamps either will not operate or will be continuously illuminated, regardless of brake pedal position.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the existing brake lamp switch with an improved switch.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The audio suddenly stops and my turn signals also stop working. When this happens when I'm in traffic, this is very frightening because I cannot signal lane changes or turns. Turning off the ignition and restarting the car always fixes the turn signals but only sometimes fixes the audio. It usually…
Car had sat for about a week since I had driven it. I opened the driver door, inserted the key, and turned the key to the starting position. It failed to crank after the dash lights lit up and then the driver steering wheel airbag deployed in my face. The car was on flat ground and the temperature…
I needed to move the car after it was sitting for about 3 weeks. It would not start due to the battery was run down. As soon as I started charging the battery, the front passenger airbag exploded causing extensive damage to the dashboard and windshield. Thank god my wife was not sitting in the car…
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 bmw 540i. The contact stated that while driving 10 mph, she heard a loud noise as metal shards started to fall from the engine compartment. The contact mentioned that the check engine and the coolant warning lamps were illuminated before the vehicle stalled. The contact…
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 bmw 540i. The contact stated that the brake lights remained illuminated, causing them to overheat and melt the casing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician advised that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 00v048000 (exterior…
Other BMW 540I years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 540I | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 540I | 5 | 1 |
| 2023 540I | 5 | 0 |
| 2022 540I | 6 | 0 |
| 2021 540I | 9 | 5 |
| 2020 540I | 3 | 5 |
| 2019 540I | 11 | 1 |
| 2018 540I | 31 | 2 |
| 2017 540I | 20 | 1 |
| 2003 540I | 7 | 2 |
| 2002 540I | 12 | 2 |
| 2001 540I | 15 | 4 |
| 2000 | 31 | 2 |
| 1999 540I | 22 | 1 |
| 1998 540I | 26 | 1 |
| 1997 540I | 27 | 0 |
| 1995 540I | 10 | 2 |
See all BMW 540I problems by year, every BMW model, or the BMW VIN decoder.
Similar BMW models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2000 BMW 540I?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 8 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2000 BMW 540I?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2000 BMW 540I a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 540I model years, the 2000 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.