Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 12 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2002 BMW 540I. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–12 of 12
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
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.
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
THE PLASTIC COVERS ON THE HEADLIGHTS OF MY BMW BECAME CRAZED/FROSTED. EVERY BMW OF THIS VINTAGE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. I SHOWED THIS TO OCCUR IN 2010 AT 100,000 MILES, BUT IN FACT IT WAS A STEADY DEGRADATION OVER SEVERAL YEARS. IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE, BECAUSE THE LIGHT OUTPUT IS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. CAUSING RISK AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IN ADDITION, THE CRAZING/FROSTING RESULTS IN ADDITIONAL GLARE TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I ASKED ABOUT RECALLS/REPLACEMENT PROGRAM FOR THIS DEFECT AT MY LOCAL BMW DEALER; THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN DISMISSED IT AS A NORMAL AGING ISSUE. I STRONGLY DISAGREE. A CAR OF THIS PRICE, OR ANY PRICE, SHOULD HAVE HEADLIGHTS THAT LAST LONGER THAN A FEW YEARS. I REPLACE THE HEADLAMP COVERS IF THEY WERE AVAILABLE, BUT THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY AT A COST OF $1238 FOR EACH SIDE. YES, $1238. THIS WAS A QUITE EXPENSIVE AUTO, BUT REGARDLESS OF COST, THIS SAFETY ISSUE SHOULD RESULT IN A RECALL....UPDATED 07/30/15 *BF THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER IT WAS A NORMAL AGING ISSUE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE LIGHT OUTPUT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. UPDATED 09/01/15. *JB
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.
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
AFTER STARTING UP MY CAR, THERE WAS A SLIGHT WHINE UNDER THE HOOD. I GAVE THE CAR A LITTLE BIT OF THROTTLE TO SEE IF THE WHINE WENT AWAY AND HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING BUT MY BATTERY LIGHT WAS ON. I NEEDED TO GET HOME, AND I THOUGHT THAT MY CAR MAY NOT START AGAIN IF I TURNED IT OFF SO I DROVE HOME. IMMEDIATELY I NOTICED THAT I DIDN'T HAVE ANY POWER STEERING. AS I DROVE MY ENGINE TEMPERATURE GOT HIGHER AND I BARELY MADE IT HOME WITHOUT OVERHEATING. A FEW DAYS LATER I LOOKED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND SAW THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD BROKEN FREE OF THE ENGINE - THE BRACKET HAD SHEARED OFF. THAT IN TURN CAUSED THE BELT TO FALL OFF WHICH WAS TURNING THE WATER PUMP AND ALTERNATOR. I GOT ON THE COMPUTER AND LOOKED UP THE PROBLEM AND FOUND A LOT OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM, SOME DRIVING DURING THE INCIDENT. THIS IS A REAL DEFECTIVE DESIGN AND CAUSES ME TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY. I HOPE NOTHING TRAGIC HAS TO HAPPEN TO SOMEONE FOR THIS TO BE CONSIDERED A RECALL. *TR
I WAS DRIVING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC WHEN I NOTICED THE STEERING FELT A LITTLE STIFFER THAN USUAL. AFTER ABOUT 5 MILES AND BETTER FLOWING TRAFFIC I PULLED INTO A RESTAURANT FOR DINNER WHEN MY UPPER RADIATOR HOSE EXPLODED. I PULLED INTO A STALL AND OPENED THE HOOD TO INSPECT WHAT HAPPENED. THE HOSE WAS VERY APPARENT AND AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION I NOTICED THE POWER STEERING PUMPS PULLEY AT A VERY SHARP ANGLE COMPARED TO LINEAR WITH THE SERPENTINE BELT. I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT FROM THE BRACKET ON THE PUMP BREAKING, IT CAUSED A CHAIN REACTION OF EVENTS. FIRST THE BRACKET BROCKET PUTTING THE PUMP AT A STEEP ANGLE N FORCING THE BELT TO GO OFF TRACK WHICH THEN CAUSED ALL THE OTHER ACCESSORIES TO BE DISABLED INCLUDING THE WATER PUMP WHICH OVERHEATED THE CAR. *TR
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
1. EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE: I DROVE THE CAR 5MIN AND PARKED FOR 30 MINUTE LUNCH. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, THE POWER STEERING FAILED IMMEDIATELY AND I COULDN'T TURN THE WHEEL. 2. THE FAILURE, FREQUENCY, CONSEQUENCES: POWER STEERING PUMP MOUNTING BRACKETS FRACTURED NEAR THE BOLTS THAT RETAIN THE PART TO THE CHASSIS. THE PUMP SWUNG LOOSE, ALLOWING THE BELT TO JUMP. THE TENSIONER PULLEYS WERE DAMAGED. MY MECHANIC IS UNAWARE OF OTHER INCIDENCES, THOUGH I FOUND DOCUMENTED REPORTS OF THE SAME FAILURE WITH PHOTOS AT THIS SITE: HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=323318 FORTUNATELY, THIS STEERING FAILURE HAPPENED AT NO SPEED. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING, THE FAILURE COULD CAUSE LOSS OF STEERING, WHICH WOULD BE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS BEFORE A TURN ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD. I COMMUTE IN THE MOUNTAINS DAILY. 3. WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE LABOR SERVICE - ORIGINAL CHECKOUT 73.00 BELTS CAME OFF PULLEYS: BELTS CAME OFF PULLEYS: THE POWER STEERING PUMP BROKE LOOSE FROM ITS MOUNTING TABS. THE POWER STEERING SUPPLY AND RETURN HOSES ARE LEAKING, THE FAN BELTS ARE DAMAGED ,AND THE FAN BELT TENSIONER PULLEYS ARE NOISY. RECOMMEND TO REPLACE THESE ITEMS. SEE QUOTE BELOW. LABOR SERVICE - POWER STEERING PUMP 1,093.00 LABOR SERVICE - POWER STEERING SUPPLY AND RETURN HOSES AND FLUID FLUSH 534.00 LABOR SERVICE - FAN BELTS 280.00 LABOR SERVICE - TENSIONER PULLEYS 618.00. *TR
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
THERE IS A CONSTANT FUEL LEAK UNDER THE VEHICLE CAUSING ENGINE CHECK LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE.*AK
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.
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