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1999 BMW 540I

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 17 of 22 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

Power Train complaints

3 reports
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16,000 miles · Mar 27, 2015
Power Train

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BMW 540I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING AND HESITATED WHEN SHIFTING THE GEAR. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS RE…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BMW 540I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING AND HESITATED WHEN SHIFTING THE GEAR. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. UPDATED 6/8/15*CN UPDATED 10/3/1017*CN

NHTSA ODI #10702136

70,000 miles · May 13, 2014
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train

MY TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OR MOVE. I HAD THE TRANS REBUILD AND 2 YEARS LATER THE SAME PROBLEM. THE TRANS HAS LOST GEARS 1-3 AND REVERSE, MULTISTATE REPAIRED THE TRANS AGAIN 2013, IFOR THE SECOND TIME, IT NEVER WORKED AFTER REPAIRS. THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON, BMW SAYS I NEED NEW TRANS AND ENGINE. WHEN I LOOKED UP R…

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MY TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OR MOVE. I HAD THE TRANS REBUILD AND 2 YEARS LATER THE SAME PROBLEM. THE TRANS HAS LOST GEARS 1-3 AND REVERSE, MULTISTATE REPAIRED THE TRANS AGAIN 2013, IFOR THE SECOND TIME, IT NEVER WORKED AFTER REPAIRS. THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON, BMW SAYS I NEED NEW TRANS AND ENGINE. WHEN I LOOKED UP RECALLS FOR 540I, IT STATES THE SAME TRANS PROBLEM AND IT SHOULD BE REPLACED. WHEN I LOOK UP ENGINE THERE ARE KNOWN ENGINE PROBLEMS WITH 540I, NOT MY VIN. I ALSO HAVE ELECTRICAL ISSUES, WHICH HAVE A RECALL ON 540I, BUT NOT MY VIN. ALSO ISSUES WITH COOLANT, WHICH IS ANOTHER KNOWN ISSUE, BUT NOT MY VIN. I HAVE TRIED TO GET BMW TO DIAGNOSE, BUT THEY ONLY RECOMMEND REPLACING ALL PARTS AT MY EXPENSE, EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A HISTORY OF THESE TYPE OF ISSUES WITH THE 540I, 1999 CARS. I WANT BMW TO REPLACE ALL KNOW ISSUE PARTS AT THEIR EXPENSE AND THEY HAVE REFUSED DUE TO MY VIN, NOT WILLING TO ADD VIN TO THE ISSUE. ALL ISSUES WITH MY CAR ARE KNOWN ISSUES FOR 540I 1999 CARS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10588144

Mileage unknown · May 10, 2002
Power Train

ON OCCASIONS WHEN SLOWING, TRANSMISION DOWNSHIFTS "HARD" MAYBE 2-1OR 3-2-1 AND EVEN A THUMB??AND DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AT THAT TIME??*AK

NHTSA ODI #761761

Official recalls

1

99V004000 · Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery:cables

Jan 4, 1999

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.