2001 BMW 540I Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 540I years
- More complaints than other years 7th of 17 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 15 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 BMW 540I. That ranks 7th out of 17 540I model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (5 complaints, 33%), typically at around 105,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 15owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2001 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 | 5 | 33% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 5 | 33% | 98,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 3 | 20% | 73,263 | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 13% | 109,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 7% | 145,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 7% | 98,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2001 BMW 540I recalls (4)
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.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: 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 unintended activation of one or more of these components.
Risk: Unexpected deployment of the air bag(s) could cause serious injury if an occupant is too close to the deploying air bag(s). In addition, the battery safety terminal may also be activated. If that happens, the starter cable would become disconnected from the battery, and the engine could not be restarted.
Fix: Dealers will replace the air bag control module. Owner notification began november10, 2003. Owners should contact bmw at 1-800-831-1117.
Engine and engine cooling:cooling system:fan
Problem: 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 stop operating.
Risk: If this were to occur, engine overheating and subsequent engine damage could result. In addition, it is possible for the failure of the electrical circuitry to cause a fire in the fan control unit located in the front of the engine compartment.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fan. Owner notification began september 28, 2001. This is a supplement to a recall that began during september 2001 (see recall campaign 01v206). Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact bmw at 1-800-831-1117.
Engine and engine cooling:cooling system:fan
Problem: 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 the fan to stop operating.
Risk: If this were to occur, engine overheating and subsequent engine damage could result. In addition, it is possible for the failure of the electrical circuitry to cause a fire in the fan control unit located in the front of the engine compartment.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fan. Owner notification began september 28, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact bmw at 1-800-831-1117.
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 contact owns a 2001 BMW 540i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: (17V047000 (AIR BAGS) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted.
The contact owns a 2001 BMW 540I. The contact stated that the dealer had previously performed an unknown air bag recall repair; however, the failure occurred a year after the recall repair was performed. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and turned off, an explosion was heard…
M62 v-8 engines used in the e-39 540 and e-38 740 are notorious for faulty timing chain guides. At around 125,000 the plastic can disintegrate causing the chain to skip a tooth. Once a tooth is skipped the valves are crushed and the engine is destroyed. The cost to replace the guides is extremely…
Takata recall: both the manufacturer (bmw north america) and the local dealer (united bmw of roswell, ga) are refusing to perform the inspection of the air bag inflator on the referenced vehicle, per nhtsa recall campaign no. 17v-047. Dealer claims that no inspection is required since manufacture's…
Possible takata inflator: at first the passenger airbag light came on occasionally and now the passenger airbag light is on all at the time.
Other BMW 540I years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 540I | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 540I | 5 | 1 |
| 2023 540I | 5 | 1 |
| 2022 540I | 6 | 1 |
| 2021 540I | 9 | 6 |
| 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 | 15 | 4 |
| 2000 540I | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2001 BMW 540I?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, power train problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 5 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2001 BMW 540I?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2001 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 2001 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.