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FaultScore report

2001 BMW 540I problems

Owners have filed 18 complaints about the 2001 BMW 540I with NHTSA between 2001 and 2026. The largest single group is the electrical system. Across this model's run it ranks 11 of 13 worst.

Read the complaints What breaks Worst years for the BMW 540I All 2001 cars
B

FaultScore 32/100

Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the BMW 540I.

How this is worked out

The numbers

18

Complaints

1

Crashes reported

0

Fires reported

0

Injuries reported

93,500 mi

Median mileage at failure

Half of reported failures happened before this

14%

Failed under 36,000 miles

Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty

What kind of bad

The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.

Complaint volume 37 vs 50 Severity 29 vs 50 Early failure 24 vs 50
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 37
Against the median year of the BMW 540I. 50 means typical for this model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 29
5.6% of these complaints involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of 9.7%.
Early failure — 24
14% of failures with a mileage on record happened under 36,000 miles, against a national rate of 29%.

How 2001 compares with every other BMW 540I

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 2001 BMW 540I

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Electrical System 6 33.3%

Median failure at 49,063 miles

Airbags 5 27.8%

Median failure at 105,000 miles

Transmission & Drivetrain 3 16.7%

Median failure at 73,263 miles

Steering 2 11.1%

Median failure at 109,500 miles

Lights 1 5.6%

Median failure at 98,000 miles

Engine & Cooling 1 5.6%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 145,000 mi

When it fails

Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.

Under 1,000 miles 2 14.3%
50,000 – 74,999 miles 2 14.3%
75,000 – 99,999 miles 5 35.7%
100,000 – 149,999 miles 4 28.6%
150,000+ miles 1 7.1%

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Mar 2001 peak 2 Mar 2026

Complaints that involved harm

Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.

at 145,000 miles Watertown, CT Crash

ENGINE

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 EXPENSIVE. I WAS LUCKY IN THAT I REPLACED MINE AT 140,000 MILES

NHTSA complaint #11299247 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

Escondido, CA

AIR BAGS

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.

NHTSA complaint #11721725 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 105,000 miles Menlo Park, CA

AIR BAGS

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. The contact entered the vehicle and noticed that the passenger's side air bag had deployed, which shattered the front windshield. The air bag and an unknown warning light were illuminated. The driver's side air bag deployed a month later. The contact stated that there was no impact to the vehicle that could have caused the air bags to deploy. Additionally, the vehicle made an abnormal sound after it was turned off. The vehicle also needed to be jumpstarted daily due to the battery failing to retain a charge. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

NHTSA complaint #11513083 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 105,000 miles Menlo Park, CA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

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. The contact entered the vehicle and noticed that the passenger's side air bag had deployed, which shattered the front windshield. The air bag and an unknown warning light were illuminated. The driver's side air bag deployed a month later. The contact stated that there was no impact to the vehicle that could have caused the air bags to deploy. Additionally, the vehicle made an abnormal sound after it was turned off. The vehicle also needed to be jumpstarted daily due to the battery failing to retain a charge. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

NHTSA complaint #11513083 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 145,000 miles Watertown, CT Crash

ENGINE

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 EXPENSIVE. I WAS LUCKY IN THAT I REPLACED MINE AT 140,000 MILES

NHTSA complaint #11299247 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 156,000 miles Alpharetta, GA

AIR BAGS

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 SERVICE RECORDS FOR THIS VIN SHOW THAT THE "AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT" WAS REPLACED 6/22/04. HOWEVER, THE OPEN NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ON THIS VEHICLE NOTES THAT THE INFLATOR MAY HAVE BEEN REPLACED PREVIOUSLY BUT THAT THE INFLATOR THAT WAS REPLACED STILL NEEDS TO BE INSPECTED AT THIS TIME AS IT MAY BE FAULTY.

NHTSA complaint #10990793 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 75,000 miles Potomac, MD

AIR BAGS

POSSIBLE TAKATA INFLATOR: AT FIRST THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON OCCASIONALLY AND NOW THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON ALL AT THE TIME.

NHTSA complaint #10882005 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 130,000 miles Fresno, CA

STEERING

THE BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE POWER STEERING PUMP ON MY 2001 BMW 540I SNAPPED ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM PIECES OF THE BRACKET RESULTING IN MY BELTS AND PULLEYS TO BE THROWN AND DESTROYED. THE REPAIR IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND TIME CONSUMING. THIS IS BECOMING A MORE AND MORE COMMON PROBLEM ON THE E39 STYLE 1997-2003 BMW 540I'S.

NHTSA complaint #10714790 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 89,000 miles Chagrin Falls, OH

STEERING

POWER STEERING BRACKETS ON THESE CARS BREAK. HAPPENED TO ME AND THREW A BELT DURING A TURN. THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD AS YOU HAVE NO POWER STEERING WHEN THE BRACKET BREAKS AND THE BELT IS THROWN. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE IF YOU SEARCH ON BMW FORUMS AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY BMW! THIS IS HAPPENING TO MY VEHICLE FOR THE SECOND TIME. OTHER OWNERS REPORT MULTIPLE INSTANCES AS WELL.

NHTSA complaint #10564400 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 73,263 miles Central Islip, NY

POWER TRAIN

2001 BMW 540I REVERSE GEAR FAILURE ON ZF 5HP24 (A5S 440Z) TRANSMISSION. MY BMW WILL NO LONGER ENGAGE REVERSE, CAR FEELS LIKE IT IS STILL IN NEUTRAL.

NHTSA complaint #10382233 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 98,000 miles Spring Branch, TX

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

3RD (HIGH) TAIL LIGHT BULB AND SOCKET OVERHEATS AND MELTS, RENDERING THE LIGHT INOPERABLE AND POSSIBLY CAUSING A FIRE HAZARD.

NHTSA complaint #10331632 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 98,000 miles Spring Branch, TX

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

3RD (HIGH) TAIL LIGHT BULB AND SOCKET OVERHEATS AND MELTS, RENDERING THE LIGHT INOPERABLE AND POSSIBLY CAUSING A FIRE HAZARD.

NHTSA complaint #10331632 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Manchester, NH

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ELECTRICAL SHORT IN FAULTY THERMOSTAT CAUSED ALL WIRING TO MELT AND LEAD TO A DAMAGE OF MAIN COMPUTER.

NHTSA complaint #10262484 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 84,000 miles Brooklyn, NY

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

ON MY 2001 BMW 540I WITH 84000 MILES WHEN THE CAR IS PUT INTO REVERSE IT WILL NOT REVERSE JUST FILLS LIKE IT IS IN NEUTRAL.

NHTSA complaint #10257554 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 70,000 miles SAN Francisco, CA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

I OWN A 2001 BMW 540I. I WILL PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, THE CAR WILL MOVE REALLY SLOW, AS I GIVE IT A LITTLE GAS TO GO, THE CAR WILL ONLY REV UP THEN JUMP INTO GEAR. THIS WILL CAUSE A VERY STRONG JERK TO THE CAR. THE CAR ONLY HAS 70,000 MILES, I FEEL THAT IT IS MUCH TOO SOON FOR A $65,000 CAR TRANSMISSION TO GO BAD. I TOOK THE CAR TO BMW TO FIND OUT THAT I NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. (COST $5600) I HAVE NOT FIX THE CAR IN HOPE THAT I WILL FIND A SOLUTION FOR BMW TO FIX IT.

NHTSA complaint #10144779 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 127 miles Martinez, CA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

BMW 540I ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS / DAMAGE TO INTERNAL HEATING AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. THEY POSE A HAZARD DUE TO EXTREME TEMPERATURE CHANGE IN THE CAR INTERIOR. THE HOT / AND COLD SENSATION LEAVES THE DRIVER FEELING SICK / NAUSEOUS.

NHTSA complaint #10002772 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 127 miles Martinez, CA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

BMW 540I ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS / DAMAGE TO INTERNAL HEATING AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. THEY POSE A HAZARD DUE TO EXTREME TEMPERATURE CHANGE IN THE CAR INTERIOR. THE HOT / AND COLD SENSATION LEAVES THE DRIVER FEELING SICK / NAUSEOUS.

NHTSA complaint #10002772 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Norfolk, VA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

VEHICLE FAILS TO START. TOWED TO DEALER. UNABLE TO LOCATE SOURCE OF PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.

NHTSA complaint #8002567 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

NEW York, NY

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 60MPH ON INTERSTATE AND SIDE/ TOP AIRBAGS EXPLODED. AFTER THEY EXPLODED, WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND VEHICLE LOST POWER. DEALER GAVE CONSUMER A LOANER CAR . CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS BEING INSPECTED.

NHTSA complaint #884456 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.