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2018 BMW 540i Problems and Recalls

Owners filed 31 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 BMW 540i, most often about the air bags (45% of complaints). It is the 2nd most complained-about 540i model year since 2000 and has 2 recalls.

Complaints31
Recalls2
Crashes reported3
Fires reported0
Injuries reported2

Most common 2018 BMW 540i problems

  1. Air bags

    14 complaints · 45%

    Parts named most often: sensor, frontal.

    For a few months now, my car has been throwing a "passenger restraint system malfunction" error. It happens sporadically and only stays up for between 1 and 5 minutes at a time. It will happen whether the car is moving or not, and even sometimes as soon as I turn the car on. I have been submitting the…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2018, at 6,500 miles

  2. Seat belts

    11 complaints · 36%

    For a few months now, my car has been throwing a "passenger restraint system malfunction" error. It happens sporadically and only stays up for between 1 and 5 minutes at a time. It will happen whether the car is moving or not, and even sometimes as soon as I turn the car on. I have been submitting the…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2018, at 6,500 miles

  3. Seats

    10 complaints · 32%

    For a few months now, my car has been throwing a "passenger restraint system malfunction" error. It happens sporadically and only stays up for between 1 and 5 minutes at a time. It will happen whether the car is moving or not, and even sometimes as soon as I turn the car on. I have been submitting the…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2018, at 6,500 miles

  4. Other or unspecified

    4 complaints · 13%

  5. Electrical

    4 complaints · 13%

  6. Engine

    3 complaints · 10%

    When braking to come to a stop at a light, the engine revved up to over 5000 RPM. I had to shut off the car to get it to stop. When I turned the car back on, it immediately revved up to over 7000, while I stood on the brake to prevent it from moving. Shut it off again, put flashers on and waited a minute. Restarted…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2020, at 32,000 miles

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.

2018 BMW 540i recalls

  1. Backup camera: camera

    NHTSA 19V684000 · September 27, 2019 · 257,473 vehicles

    Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Bmw will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began november 8, 2019. Owners may contact bmw customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or rolls-royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.

    Full defect summary

    Bmw of north america, llc (bmw) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xdrive, 540i, 540i xdrive, m550i xdrive, m5, 530e, 530e xdrive, x3 sdrive, x3 xdrive, x3 m40i, x3 m, and 2019-2020 x4 xdrive, x4 m40i, x4 m, x7 xdrive, x7 m50i, 740li, 740li xdrive, 750li, 750li xdrive, 8 series convertible and coupe 840i, 840i xdrive, m850i xdrive, x5 sdrive, x5 xdrive, x5 m50i, x6 xdrive, x6 m50i, 330i, 330i xdrive, m340i, m340i xdrive, z4 sdrive, z4 m40i, 740le xdrive and 745le xdrive, 2018-2019 640i xdrive gran turismo and rolls-royce phantom, 2019 m850i xdrive gran coupe and rolls-royce cullinan and 2020 toyota supra vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of f

  2. Engine

    NHTSA 18V465000 · July 11, 2018 · 5,309 vehicles

    Risk: A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Bmw will notify owners, and dealers will replace the crankshaft sensor, free of charge. The recall began september 6, 2018. Owners may contact bmw customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

    Full defect summary

    Bmw of north america, llc (bmw) is recalling certain 2018 bmw 540d xdrive vehicles. The crankshaft sensor may be equipped with incorrect firmware, preventing the sensor from properly processing input from the crankshaft reluctor ring, possibly resulting in a vehicle stall. On september 12, 2018, bmw expanded the recall to a total of 5,309 vehicles including certain 2018-2019 bmw 540d xdrive, 230i m240i, m240i xdrive, x2 sdrive28i, x2 xdrive28i, x1 sdrive28i, x1 xdrive28i, 330i, 330i xdrive, 340i, 340i xdrive, 330i xdrive gran turismo, 530i, 530i xdrive, 540i, 540i xdrive, 530e, 530e xdrive, 640i xdrive gran turismo, 330e, 2019 430i gran coupe, 430i xdrive gran coupe, 440i gran coupe, 440i xdrive gran coupe, 430i, 430i xdrive, 440i, 440i xdrive, 740i, 740i xdrive, mini cooper, cooper s, jcw, mini countryman (cooper, cooper all4, cooper s, cooper s all4, jcw all4), and mini clubman (cooper

Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.

Questions about the 2018 BMW 540i

What are the most common problems with the 2018 BMW 540i?
By NHTSA owner complaints: air bags (14 complaints); seat belts (11 complaints); seats (10 complaints).
How many recalls does the 2018 BMW 540i have?
2 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from September 27, 2019 (backup camera). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
Is the 2018 a bad year for the BMW 540i?
It is the 2nd most complained-about 540i model year since 2000, with 31 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.

Other BMW 540i years

BMW 540i problems by year