2017 BMW 540I Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 540I years
- More complaints than other years 6th of 17 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 20 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 BMW 540I. That ranks 6th out of 17 540I model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (5 complaints, 25%). There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 20owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2017 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 | 25% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 20% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 20% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 15% | 7,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 10% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 10% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 10% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 10% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 10% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2017 BMW 540I recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module; air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2017 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i and 540i xDrive and 2017-2018 530e xDrive vehicles. Prior exposure to excessive levels of humidity within the driver and passenger head air bag inflators may affect the proper deployment of the head air bags.
Risk: In the event of a crash of sufficient severity, deployment of the head air bag may be impaired and/or the igniter could separate from the inflator, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left or right head air bag, free of charge. The recall began June 24, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
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 2017 BMW 540I equipped with a Zenna Tires, Tire Line: Argus/UHP, Tire Size: 275/30/ZR20, DOT Number: [redacted]. The contact stated the driver's side rear tire was slowly deflating. The vehicle was taken to a Tire Shop, and the technician became aware of bubbles on the tire. The…
as per [XXX] RE: Recall 22V-xxx: Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) Valve Heater â B11 01 22 This should be covered by BMW but they charges us and not refunding review charges below [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While driving on highways when there is no car in front of me, my car suddenly warns me of collision and applies brakes automatically! This almost caused an accident with the cars behind me. They were about to collide with me from behind because my car was applying brakes automatically without my…
Driver seat restraint module system malfunction.
Vehicle has severely poor quality coolant hoses made from poor quality material that cannot withstand the flow of pressure within the coolant system process. Leading to the hoses deteriorating from internal pressure thus causing the coolant hoses to leak. The coolant sensors only indicate low…
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 | 20 | 1 |
| 2003 540I | 7 | 2 |
| 2002 540I | 12 | 2 |
| 2001 540I | 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.
Similar BMW models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2017 BMW 540I?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, seats problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 5 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2017 BMW 540I?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2017 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 2017 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.