RoadVitals

1999 BMW 540IAT Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
3
Latest Mar 17, 2004
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
3
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1999 BMW 540IAT, 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

  • Brakes133.3%
  • Engine133.3%
  • Transmission133.3%

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

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

COMPLETE ABS FAILURE WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS. THE ABS CONTROL MODULE CONTROLLED EACH WHEEL DIFFERENTLY AT DIFFERENT TIMES, CAUSING THE CAR TO BUCK WILDLY AT HIGHWAY SAFE SPEEDS. WHILE BRAKING, THE CONTROLLER WENT BAD (WAS REPORTED TO DEALER PREVIOUSLY AND TOLD IT WAS THE BRAKE PADS - CHANGED AND STILL HAD ISSUE) , LOCKED UP THE REAR WHEELS, CAUSED SLIDING CONDITION IN TRAFFIC, NEARLY COLLIDING WITH OTHER CARS AND UNDERPASS BARRICADE. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIME AND HAS BEEN REPORTED TO DEALER (NONE AT SPEEDS - 10 MPH OR UNDER - CONTROLLABLE AT THOSE SPEEDS). *NM

NHTSA ID 10062397 · filed Mar 17, 2004

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

RADIATOR FAILURE ON 1999 540 TOURING - DISABLES THE VEHICLE NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE FROM RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WHERE THE PANIC COULD ENDANGER OTHER DRIVERS, TO THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE IN THE DEAD OF WINTER BY YOURSELF. *AK - STEAM FROM FAILED RADIATOR BLOCKS VISION OF THE ROAD, OR WHATEVER ELSE IS IN THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT CORNER OF THE VEHICLE. - FAILURE CAN NOT BE PREDICTED BY VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE RADIATOR.

NHTSA ID 10045859 · filed Nov 10, 2003

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Transmission

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

I HAVE EXPERIENCED AN OCCASIONAL HARD DOWNSHIFT OR CLUNK WHEN SLOWING MY VEHICLE AND THEN BRISKLY ACCELERATING. THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE PROBLEM REPORTED IN SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 240300.*AK

NHTSA ID 740877 · filed Feb 14, 2001

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

Data on this page last refreshed .