1997 BMW 540I Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 1about this part
- Share
- 4%of 27 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 130,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 1 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 1997 BMW 540I, 4% of the 27 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 130,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Incident #1 2010: accelerated the vehicle to 75mph to enter freeway. Took foot off gas and vehicle continued to accelerate. Engaged clutch to stop acceleration and RPM continued to rise to the limiter point (approx 5500 RPM). Pulled over, started car and engine immediately went to the red line. On inspection, a plastic part on an accelerator cable had cracked, causing the accelerator to lock in the fully open position. If the clutch had not been engaged (I.e. If this car had an automatic transmission), this could have resulted in a collision and possible injuries or fatalities. …”
NHTSA complaint #10488021, filed 2012-12, 130,000 milesTransmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | 17% |
| 2022 | 4 | 67% |
| 2021 | 3 | 33% |
| 2019 | 2 | 17% |
| 2018 | 2 | 6% |
| 2017 | 1 | 5% |
| 2003 | 1 | 14% |
| 2001 | 3 | 20% |
| 1999 | 3 | 14% |
| 1998 | 1 | 4% |
| 1997 | 1 | 4% |
| 1995 | 2 | 20% |
| 1994 | 4 | 50% |
Other parts of the 1997 BMW 540I
13 complaintsElectrical system
3 complaintsOther or unknown
2 complaintsSeat belts
2 complaintsSuspension
2 complaintsVehicle speed control
2 complaintsAir bags
1 complaintsBrakes
1 complaintsSeats
1 complaintsTires
1 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1997 BMW 540I
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology