1999 BMW 540I: problems, recalls and reliability

“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”Owner report · Power Train · Feb 2011

“Tl*the contact owns a 1999 bmw 540i. The contact stated that the rear drivers side door was unable to open from the inside and outside. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed the contact that the door lock actuator had failed. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 135,000.”Owner report · Latches/Locks/Linkages · Nov 2010

“Started my car and heard a thumping noise and found out it was my belt being chewed up because the power steering pump brackets broke. *tr”Owner report · Steering · Aug 2010

“My son was driving home in rush hour traffic on connecticut ave. It was raining rather hard and visibility was low. My son all of the sudden smelled smoke coming through the vents and the engine shut down. It would not restart. He had to push it off the road into a service station due to the high volume of traffic. The car was towed that evening to my repair shop where it was diagnosed that the thermostat housing sensor failed which melted the wiring harness and damaged other electrical sensors on the engine. *tr”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Dec 2005

“ABS warning and dsc light is on indicating failure of ABS electronic module. ABS and dsc is no longer operable. This is a safety issue since the car will no longer have ABS and dynamic stability control system in operable condition. It is unknown if brake could be randomly activated by the failed ABS module while driving. Common failure on 1999 or plus 5-series bmw based on user discussion on internet. The failure is temperture related. The higher the temperture, the quicker the warning light will come on. *nm”Owner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Nov 2005

“I think this is ridiculous that the 60,000 dollar bmw 5 series with dsc and ABS continually have ABS control module failures. The part is obviously a design flaw and the company should be forced to repair or replace units free of charge. This is obviously a safety issue since the module failure causes the traction control and ABS to fail. This is common in model years 98,99,and 2000. *nm”Owner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Jan 2005

“(1) normal driving conditions; noticed "steam" coming from under hood. 2) radiator's upper hose inlet cracked (plastic); car disabled (3) car out of warranty; no remedy from manufacturer. *ak”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jul 2004