2003 BMW 540I Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2003 BMW 540I, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Steering222.2%
- Airbags222.2%
- Electrical111.1%
- Powertrain (other)111.1%
- Tires & wheels111.1%
- Engine111.1%
- Brakes111.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
STARTED THE CAR AND BEGAN TO DRIVE OUT OF DRIVEWAY WHEN I HEARD A NOISE IN THE ENGINE. SHUT DOWN ENGINE AND POPPED THE HOOD- FOUND DRIVE BELT SHREDDED BECAUSE POWER STEERING PUMP SNAPPED AND LET LOOSE INTO TENSION PULLEY- LUCKILY I WAS NOT AT SPEED AND BELT DID NOT FAIL- OTHERWISE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR ALONG WITH LOSS OF POWER STEERING. *TR
DRIVING HOME ONE EVENING, I NOTICED A BINDING FEELING BEING TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE DRIVE-TRAIN, DRIVE-ABILITY DID NOT SEEM TOO AFFECTED, OTHER THAN THE ODD BIND BEING FELT. THE NEXT MORNING UPON START-UP, THE CAR BEGAN MAKING A LOUD, RPM SENSITIVE WHINING NOISE. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND DROVE ONE OF MY OTHERS. WHEN I OPENED THE HOOD IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS NOT ALIGNED CORRECTLY. THROUGH FURTHER OBSERVATION, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP MOUNTS WERE BROKEN. THE BROKEN MOUNTS CAUSED THE PUMP TO PUSH FORWARD AND NOT BE ALIGNED. THE BELT WAS BEING CHEWED UP IN THE PROCESS. WHILE REMOVING THE PUMP I NOTICED THAT THE BOLTS HOLDING IT IN PLACE WERE LOOSE. THESE LOOSE BOLTS WERE ALARMING AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE POWER STEERING PUMP LOOSENING EVEN FURTHER CAUSE THE BELT TO JUMP. IN MY OPINION, IT IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE FOR THIS TO HAVE HAPPENED. THE FACT THAT A MOLDED PIECE OF ALUMINUM WOULD FRACTURE AND BREAK IS ALARMING, AND THE LOOSE BOLTS IS EVEN WORSE. IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT THE BELT COULD HAVE JUMPED (HAS HAPPENED TO FELLOW 540I DRIVERS) WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN NO POWER STEERING. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
Air bag light coming on and off intermittently. Known recall affecting bmw 540 models around this vin number. BMW says this particular vin not affected, but if NHTSA adds vin to list, they will fix.
TAKATA RECALL - THE BMW 2003 540I THAT I OWN, HAS A DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG AND A PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. I COMPLIED WITH THE BMW RECALL FOR THE TAKATA AIRBAG REPLACEMENT SYSTEM THAT TO MY DISSATISFACTION, REPLACED ONLY THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG. I AM REGISTERING THIS COMPLAINT TO NOTIFY NHTSA THAT BMW DID NOT REPLACE THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WITH THIS RECALL. THIS NON-REPLACEMENT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IS CONCERNING TO ME AS THE PASSENGER IS AT RISK FOR THE PROBLEMS THAT TAKATA AIRBAGS PRODUCE WHETHER DRIVER'S SIDE OR THE PASSENGER SIDE. IT IS ANATHEMA TO PROPER GOOD FAITH PERFORMANCE OF BMW AND TAKATA TO NOT REPLACE THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG WAS REPLACED BY THE RECALL INITIATED DUE TO THE POOR PERFORMANCE OF THE TAKATA AIRBAG. I WAS DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WAS NOT BEING REPLACED AT THE SAME TIME AS THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG REPLACEMENT. NHTSA - PLEASE WORK WITH BMW TO HAVE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG PERFORMED UNDER THE PREVIOUS RECALL, OR THROUGH A NEW RECALL ANNOUNCEMENT SO THAT THE PASSENGER IN VEHICLES WITH THE TAKATA AIRBAG UNDER THE PREVIOUS RECALL, ARE RECALLED AND, THEN SAFE WITH A NEW AIRBAG SYSTEM. I WAS IN ANTICIPATION OF THE RECALL FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE BY THE NHTSA. HOWEVER, SINCE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG THAT OCCURRED IN THE 2017 TIME FRAME, HAS NOT OCCURRED, I AM REGISTERING THIS COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA. TO REITERATE, SINCE A RECALL FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE HAS NOT BEEN INITIATED BY BMW, I AM RAISING THIS ISSUE FOR NHTSA TO BE INFORMED AND TO PURSUE A RECALL BEING INITIATED BY BMW.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
BMW E39 540I POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR (CLIMATE CONTROL FAN RESISTOR) WITH HEATSINK.. AFFECTS "AUTO" FAN.. VERY NOTICEABLE IN THE LONG RUN.. KNOWN PROBLEM.. MANY DO NOT LAST PAST 50,000KM.. SEE HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=143393 FOR REPLACEMENT.. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
DRIVING HOME ONE EVENING, I NOTICED A BINDING FEELING BEING TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE DRIVE-TRAIN, DRIVE-ABILITY DID NOT SEEM TOO AFFECTED, OTHER THAN THE ODD BIND BEING FELT. THE NEXT MORNING UPON START-UP, THE CAR BEGAN MAKING A LOUD, RPM SENSITIVE WHINING NOISE. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND DROVE ONE OF MY OTHERS. WHEN I OPENED THE HOOD IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS NOT ALIGNED CORRECTLY. THROUGH FURTHER OBSERVATION, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP MOUNTS WERE BROKEN. THE BROKEN MOUNTS CAUSED THE PUMP TO PUSH FORWARD AND NOT BE ALIGNED. THE BELT WAS BEING CHEWED UP IN THE PROCESS. WHILE REMOVING THE PUMP I NOTICED THAT THE BOLTS HOLDING IT IN PLACE WERE LOOSE. THESE LOOSE BOLTS WERE ALARMING AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE POWER STEERING PUMP LOOSENING EVEN FURTHER CAUSE THE BELT TO JUMP. IN MY OPINION, IT IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE FOR THIS TO HAVE HAPPENED. THE FACT THAT A MOLDED PIECE OF ALUMINUM WOULD FRACTURE AND BREAK IS ALARMING, AND THE LOOSE BOLTS IS EVEN WORSE. IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT THE BELT COULD HAVE JUMPED (HAS HAPPENED TO FELLOW 540I DRIVERS) WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN NO POWER STEERING. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
DRIVER'S SIDE, REAR TIRE EXPLODED, WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 5 IN CALIFORNIA, CAUSING $5,500 DAMAGE TO THE REAR BODY OF THE CAR. BOTH THE REPAIR FACILITY AND DISCOUNT TIRE FOUND THE OTHER 3 TIRES TO HAVE DEFECTS RENDERING THEM UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
STARTED THE CAR AND BEGAN TO DRIVE OUT OF DRIVEWAY WHEN I HEARD A NOISE IN THE ENGINE. SHUT DOWN ENGINE AND POPPED THE HOOD- FOUND DRIVE BELT SHREDDED BECAUSE POWER STEERING PUMP SNAPPED AND LET LOOSE INTO TENSION PULLEY- LUCKILY I WAS NOT AT SPEED AND BELT DID NOT FAIL- OTHERWISE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR ALONG WITH LOSS OF POWER STEERING. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
See attached document for complaint
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .