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BMW 540IModel year report

1999 BMW 540I Problems

Complaints
22filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
70,000miles, 17 complaints with mileage
Recalls
1campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
16 mpgcombined, 4.4L 8-cyl RWD · 14 city / 19 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 1999 BMW 540I (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 22 consumer complaints for the 1999 BMW 540I. The part named most often is engine cooling, with 5 complaints (23% of the total), followed by brakes (4) and electrical system (4). 17 of the complaints include a mileage, and 18% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 70,000 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign and 9 technical service bulletins for this model year. Engine cooling complaints overlap with 2 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1).

Example complaints

Engine cooling: “My son was driving home in rush hour traffic on connecticut ave. It was raining rather hard and visibility was low. My son all of the sudden smelled smoke coming through the vents and the engine shut down. It would not restart. He had to push it off the road into a service station due to the high volume of traffic. The car was towed that evening to my repair shop where it was diagnosed that the thermostat housing sensor failed which melted the wiring harness and damaged other electrical sensors on the engine.”

NHTSA complaint #10211543, filed 2007-12, 60,590 miles

Brakes: “I think this is ridiculous that the 60,000 dollar Bmw 5 series with dsc and ABS continually have ABS control module failures. The part is obviously a design flaw and the company should be forced to repair or replace units free of charge. This is obviously a safety issue since the module failure causes the traction control and ABS to fail. This is common in model years 98,99,and 2000.”

NHTSA complaint #10147794, filed 2006-01, 109,000 miles

Electrical system: “My transmission would not accelerate or move. I had the trans rebuild and 2 years later the same problem. The trans has lost gears 1-3 and reverse, multistate repaired the trans again 2013, ifor the second time, it never worked after repairs. The engine light stays on, Bmw says I need new trans and engine. When I looked up recalls for 540I, it states the same trans problem and it should be replaced. When I look up engine there are known engine problems with 540I, not my VIN. I also have electrical issues, which have a recall on 540I, but not my VIN. …”

NHTSA complaint #10588144, filed 2014-05, 70,000 miles

Steering: “Vehicle was driven at highway speed (55-60mph) and a loud metallic 'thunk' noise was heard as if something struck or bounced off the underside of the car. The serpentine drive belt was discovered to have come off the drive pulleys, and upon closer inspection the power steering pump was discovered to be loose. The upper mounting ear was broken, and the lower mounting bolt was missing entirely. It appears the break in the upper mounting ear cause the lower bolt to vibrate loose, and in turn the serpentine drive belt was dislodged. …”

NHTSA complaint #10392956, filed 2011-03, 176,009 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

18% of the 17 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 54,000 and 147,076 miles.

0%0–106%10–2512%25–5041%50–750%75–10018%100–15024%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (17 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 70,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

’02’043’06’08’10’13’153
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 1999 BMW 540I version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
540i RWD4.4L 8-cyl5-speed automatic162218$3,700
540i RWD4.4L 8-cyl5-speed automatic141916$4,200
540i RWD4.4L 8-cyl6-speed manual142116$4,200
540i Touring RWD4.4L 8-cyl5-speed automatic141916$4,200

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 1999 BMW 540I → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 9 on record; the latest 9 are shown.

Other model years of the BMW 540I

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20245—3—28—Too new
20236—1—27—Too new
20226—1—27—Not enough data
2021938,3506—26—Not enough data
20191216,6001—24—Not enough data
2018318,1502—24Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Rising
20172020,5001—24—Rising
2003792,0002—17—Not enough data
20021298,0002—16—Not enough data
20011589,0004—16—Stable
20003191,0002—16Not compared (before 2008)Rising
19992270,0001—16—Stable
19982650,9141—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
19972776,3500—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19951080,2502—18—Not enough data
1994887,0004—17—Not enough data

All BMW 540I model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 1999 BMW 540I have?

NHTSA recorded 22 consumer complaints for the 1999 BMW 540I as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 1999 BMW 540I is reported most often?

Engine cooling is named most often, in 5 complaints (23% of the total), followed by brakes with 4.

Has the 1999 BMW 540I been recalled?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 1999 BMW 540I get?

The EPA rates the 1999 BMW 540I (540i, 4.4L 8-cyl) at 16 mpg combined, 14 city and 19 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,200 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 1999 BMW 540I reported?

Among the 17 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 70,000 miles and the middle half falls between 54,000 and 147,076 miles; 18% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.