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BMW 540i Problems by Year

Owners have filed 156 complaints with NHTSA about the BMW 540i since the 2000 model year. The years with the most are 2000, 2018, 2017. The most common problem overall: air bags.

0102030402000: 31 complaints2000312001: 15 complaints20012002: 12 complaints20022003: 7 complaints20032017: 20 complaints20172018: 31 complaints20182019: 11 complaints20192020: 3 complaints20202021: 9 complaints20212022: 6 complaints20222023: 5 complaints20232024: 5 complaints20242025: 1 complaints2025
BMW 540i owner complaints to NHTSA by model year. Faded bars: fewer than 25 complaints, no separate page.

Counts are not adjusted for sales: popular years collect more complaints, and recent years have had less time to.

BMW 540i problems by model year

YearComplaintsTop problemRecallsCrashes
2018 540i31Air bags23
2000 540i31Engine21

4 recalls in total across these years. Years with fewer than 25 complaints have no separate page.

Questions about the BMW 540i

What years of the BMW 540i have the most problems?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: 2000 (31), 2018 (31), 2017 (20).
What is the most common problem with the BMW 540i?
Across all model years, owners complain most about the air bags (22), engine (13), electrical (12).
Which BMW 540i years have the fewest complaints?
Among model years at least four years old: 2020 (3), 2022 (6), 2003 (7). Fewer complaints can also mean fewer cars sold, so compare with sales before you decide.

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