RoadVitals

1997 BMW 540I Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
13
Latest Oct 25, 2010
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
48%
of 27 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 BMW 540I submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Engine
Filed Oct 25, 2010

I EXCHANGED THE LAMBDA SENSOR OF MY CAR A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. SUDDENLY MY MILEAGE WENT DOWN AND I STARTED AN ERROR SEARCH. SINCE I WAS DOING A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS ON THE CAR I DIDN'T COME UP WITH THE SENSORS UP FRONT. UPDATED 11/16/10 *BF UPDATED 03/23/11 *BF SO WHEN IT CAME TO THEM I RECOGNIZED THAT THEY WERE GROUNDED THROUGH THE EXHAUST WHAT THEY SHOULDN'T DO AT MY CAR! WHEN I ASKED THE MANUFACTURER THEY DISMISSED EVERYTHING AS IF IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT. AND THEY KEEP SELLING THE LAMBDA SENSORS FOR A RANGE OF CARS THAT DEFINITELY DO NOT FIT! MANUFACTURER IS BORGWARNER BERU SYSTEMS GMBH! LAMBDA SENSOR IS OZH 173 HTTP://BERU.COM/ENGLISH/PRODUKTE/PRODUKTIDENT.PHP?S=OZH+173&EANR=0824010207&ACTION=STEP02 THE DANGER RESULTS FROM THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE GROUNDING: THIS LEADS TO A HEATING UP OF THE LAMBDA SENSORS WHICH THEN MIGHT IGNITE UNBURNED FUEL IN THE EXHAUST. THIS FUEL WILL DEFINITELY BE THERE AS THE GROUNDING ALSO DESTROYS THE OUTPUT STAGES OF THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUEL MIXTURE. THE CAR WILL ULTIMATELY FATTEN UP, RESULTING IN UNBURNED FUEL GETTING TO THE EXHAUST AND BEING IGNITED BY THE HEATED UP LAMBDA SENSORS! THIS IS WHAT CAN BURN DOWN THE WHOLE CAR DURING DRIVING AND ALSO WHEN STANDING AFTER A LONGER TRIP! SO THESE LAMBDA SENSORS DESTROYED MY MOTOR CONTROL UNIT, MY CATALYTIC CONVERTERS, ETC. I WOULD BE GLAD IF YOU COULD RESEARCH FURTHER INTO THIS AND NOTIFY ME OF THE STATUS! UPDATED11/23/10. *JB UPDATED 12/01/10. *JB *TR

NHTSA ID
10362195
Incident
Jan 20, 2009
ElectricalEngineVisibility
Filed Jul 13, 2005

1997 BMW 540I FUSE TO THE FUEL INJECTOR BLEW OUT.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED*** *MR THE VEHICLE WOULD ALL OF A SUDDEN DIE WHEN IN MOTION DUE TO THE BLOWN FUSE(S) TO THE INJECTOR. THE THERMOSTAT TEMPERATURE SENSOR HAD AN INTERNAL SHORT WHICH CAUSED THE WIRE TO MELT AND BLEW THE FUSE. THE SUNROOF WAS INOPERATIVE DUE TO THE RAIL LIFT PIECES BEING BROKEN. *SC THE WIPER BLADES WERE NOT CLEANING THE WINDOWS PROPERLY. *JB

NHTSA ID
10130203
Incident
Feb 9, 2005
Mileage
53,777 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 14, 2005

THE RADIATOR NECK BROKE OFF WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON MY 1997 540I. IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH BMW BY ALL ACCOUNTS, OWNERS, TECHNICIANS AND EVEN MY OWN PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED IT WITH AN 1988 735I. PLASTIC PARTS ON THE RADIATOR IS UNACCEPTABLE, DANGEROUS AND COSTLY. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS ON THESE EXPENSIVE LUXURY VEHICLES WITH NO RESOLUTION BY BMW.*AK

NHTSA ID
10116922
Incident
Apr 10, 2005
Mileage
127,075 mi
Engine
Filed Nov 27, 2004

(1) REPLACED WATER PUMP AND ACCESSORY BELTS. ON A FORUM THAT I READ, MANY SUGGEST REPLACING THE RADIATOR WHEN REPLACING THE WATER PUMP, AS PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE DUE TO THE RADIATOR'S HIGH AND FREQUENT FAILURE. REPLACE THE RADIATOR AS PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE?!? I WOULD RATHER NOT. A RADIATOR IS NOT AN OIL OR AIR FILTER. (2) UPPER NECK ON THE RADIATOR BROKE AND RELEASED MORE THAN A GALLON OF COOLANT, IN LESS THAN 50 FEET, IN THE FORM OF LIQUID AND STEAM. THE STEAM OBSCURED VISION ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. LUCKILY I WAS MAKING A RIGHT-HAND TURN INTO A PARKING LOT. (3) NO REPAIR AS OF YET. THE FAILURE OF THE RADIATOR OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 AM. I MADE IT HOME AT 12:05 P.M. I CALLED THE LOCAL BMW PARTS DEPARTMENT (ONE HOUR AND THIRTY MINUTES AWAY) TO ARRANGE TO PAY FOR THE RADIATOR BY CREDIT CARD AND THEN HAVE THE PART LEFT WITH ONE OF THE SALESPERSONS, BECAUSE THE PARTS DEPARTMENT CLOSES AT 1:00 P.M. BUT THEY NO LONGER ACCEPT CREDIT CARD PURCHASES OVER THE PHONE FROM IN-STATE CUSTOMERS, EVEN AFTER PRACTICALLY BEGGING. VERY POOR PRACTICE UNLESS THEY WANT TO LOOSE CUSTOMERS. ACTUALLY IMMEDIATELY AFTER I SUBMIT THIS I WILL GO ON-LINE AND TRY TO FIND AN AFTER-MARKET RADIATOR. PROBABLY OF BETTER QUALITY ANYWAY. SAD BUT TRUE. I ENCOURAGE THE RELEASE OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS QUESTIONNAIRE TO THE MANUFACTURER OF MY VEHICLE.*AK

NHTSA ID
10100611
Incident
Nov 27, 2004
Mileage
55,000 mi
Engine
Filed Nov 11, 2003

THE RADIATOR IN MY 1997 BMW 540I HAS FAILED TWICE SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT. I SEE THIS AS A SAFETY ISSUE. *AK

NHTSA ID
10045931
Incident
Mar 1, 2001
Mileage
75,000 mi
Engine
Filed Sep 1, 2003

MY 1997 BMW 540I 6-SPEED HAD A RADIATOR FAILURE AT 77,500 MILES. THE PLASTIC RADIATOR CONNECTION POINT FOR THE TOP HOSE SNAPPED OFF. THIS APPEARS TO BE A WELL KNOW ISSUE AFTER SPEAKING WITH BMW SERVICE TECHS AND SEARCHING BMW INTERNET SITES.*AK I BELIEVE THAT THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ID
10036982
Incident
Aug 21, 2003
Mileage
77,500 mi
Engine
Filed Jun 22, 2003

I OWN A 1997 BMW 540I. RADIATOR BROKE AT PLASTIC ATTACHMENT POINT. COOLANT LEAKED ALL OVER THE WINDSHIELD AND ENGINE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A WELL KNOWN DEFECT AMONG OWNERS OF THIS CAR DUE TO THE PLASTIC ATTACHMENT POINT AT THE JUNCTION OF THE HOSE AND THE RADIATOR. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10023565
Incident
Jun 22, 2003
Mileage
71,560 mi
Engine
Filed Jun 3, 2003

MY 1997 BMW 540I6 RADIATOR BROKE ON ME WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY ON 5/30/03. *AK

NHTSA ID
10020942
Incident
May 30, 2003
Mileage
57,500 mi
Engine
Filed Jun 2, 2003

1997, BMW, 540I RADIATOR FAILURE @ 77,500 MILES (DETECTED BY BMW DEALER DURING ROUTINE SERVICE INSPECTION); RADIATOR REPLACED AT MY COST.*AK

NHTSA ID
10020931
Incident
May 19, 2003
Mileage
77,500 mi
Engine
Filed Jan 14, 2003

RADIATOR FAILURE ON BMW 540I WITH ONLY 51K MILES, CAUSING LOSS OF TRACTION AND ALMOST A WRECK

NHTSA ID
10002684
Incident
Jan 11, 2003
Mileage
51,635 mi
Engine
Filed Jan 9, 2003

THE UPPER RADIATOR HOSE UNEXPECTLY SEPARATED FROM THE RADIATOR. INSPECTION SHOWED THAT THE PLASTIC RADIATOR HAD BROKEN AT THE HOSE FITTING. THE RESULTING STEAM CLOUD AND WATER DEPOSITS ON WINDSHIELD ABRUPTLY OBSCURED VISION, LEADING TO A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. NON-REINFORCED PLASTIC IS AN UNSAFE MATERIAL FOR USE IN THIS APPLICATION.

NHTSA ID
10000880
Incident
Jan 4, 2003
Mileage
118,900 mi
Engine
Filed Dec 3, 2002

SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE COMPLETE LOSS OF COOLANT AT SPEED. DT

NHTSA ID
770387
Incident
Dec 3, 2002
Engine
Filed Feb 1, 1999

CATALYTIC CONVERTERS FAILED. MJS

NHTSA ID
606538
Incident
Nov 1, 1997

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .