2002 BMW 540I: problems, recalls and reliability
2 recalls and 12 owner complaints on record; most reports concern electrical system.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Jan 2019
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 12 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Tl* the contact owned a 2002 bmw 540i. While the contact's vehicle was at a stop sign, it was rear ended by another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000. *bf *tr”Owner report · Air Bags · Dec 2017
“Tl* the contact owns a 2002 bmw 540i. The contact stated that it took ten attempts to start the vehicle. The failure occurred at least thirty times. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 166,000.”Owner report · Electrical System · Dec 2016
“Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2002 bmw 540i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v318000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. ...updated 09/14/16 *bf updated 10/18/16.*jb”Owner report · Air Bags · May 2015
Show 4 more owner reports
“Power steering pump mounting brackets broke off ( on a power steering pump itself), car thus lost power steering, belt got off, in a turn it would have been a disaster , somehow I was able to steer it clear in a turn. I guess I was lucky.”Owner report · Steering · Apr 2015
“I was driving and my serpentine belt fell off. After inspection the bracket for my power steering pump broke and caused the belt to fall off. Lost power steering while driving. *tr”Owner report · Steering · Apr 2015
“Multiple instances of no start. Every time the car was towed to a bmw specialist who over and over again diagnosed completely drained battery, but charging system was ok. I have just found out that bmw has been recalling 2003-2010 models with the exact same defect. *tr”Owner report · Electrical System · Jun 2011
“Apparent computer malfunction caused windows to fog up, clock to fail, directional signals to fail and the engine to refuse to restart. Also, the dash display and brake lights remained on even with the ignition key removed. Disconnecting the battery, waiting about one hour, reconnecting the battery restored normal operation. *tr”Owner report · Electrical System · Oct 2009
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 0 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 2 campaigns
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i, and 330xi Sedans, and 325xi and 325i Sportswagons, 2002-2006 330Ci, 325Ci, and M3 Convertibles and 325i, 330i, and M3 Coupes, 2002-2003 M5, 540i, 525i Sedan, and 530i Sedans, and 540i and 525i Sportswagons, and 2003 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity Vehicles. Please note that the 5-series and X5 vehicles are only included if they are equipped with the optional sports steering wheel. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began Aug 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-348 in its entirety. Additionally, vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously as part of a recall remedy need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well. Note: On December 17, 2015 BMW removed the model year 2004 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity vehicle from this recall. Those vehicles were mistakenly identified as including the air bags that are subject to this recall.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2000-2003 525i Sedan, 530i Sedan, 540i Sedan, 2001-2003 525i Sports Wagon and 540i Sports Wagon vehicles, and 2000-2004 X5 SAV 3.0i, X5 SAV 4.4i, and X5 SAV 4.6is vehicles. This recall affects certain vehicles where the original steering wheel has been replaced with the optional sports steering wheel. The sports steering wheel has a frontal air bag inflator that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle for an optional sports steering wheel with an affected inflator. Dealers will replace the air bag module as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 14, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2002 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact 540I by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2002 BMW 540I reliable?
NHTSA has 12 owner complaints and 2 recall campaigns on record for the 2002 BMW 540I. The most complained-about area is electrical system.
Does the 2002 BMW 540I have open recalls?
2 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.