2000 BMW 540I Air bags Problems
- Complaints
- 8about this part
- Share
- 26%of 31 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 43,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the air bags of the 2000 BMW 540I, 26% of the 31 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 43,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
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.
“Car had sat for about a week since I had driven it. I opened the driver door, inserted the key, and turned the key to the starting position. It failed to crank after the dash lights lit up and then the driver steering wheel airbag deployed in my face. The car was on flat ground and the temperature was not extremely hot or extremely cold. The previous several times I had driven the car there was no indication of an SRS light and the car started perfectly every time.”
NHTSA complaint #11539678, filed 2023-08“I needed to move the car after it was sitting for about 3 weeks. It would not start due to the battery was run down. As soon as I started charging the battery, the front passenger airbag exploded causing extensive damage to the dashboard and windshield. Thank god my wife was not sitting in the car. I have not contacted anyone about this. It happened a few hours ago. It is about 93 degrees with very high humidity. I am sending this report because someone could have been killed.”
NHTSA complaint #11530722, filed 2023-07“The contact owns a 2000 Bmw 540I. The contact was driving approximately 60 MPH when road debris crashed into the front driver side door and the front driver side air bag deployed. The vehicle was pulled over and shut off. A police report was not filed but the contact sustained minor injuries from the air bag deployment. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop where the contact was told that the impact from the debris was not sufficient to warrant air bag deployment. The vehicle was repaired. The failure and current mileage was 120,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10392144, filed 2011-03, 120,000 miles“The contact owns a 2000 Bmw 540I. She stated that the battery continued to fail on the vehicle which caused several undisclosed electrical failures. The vehicle was taken to the dealer nine times to correct the faulty battery issue, to no avail. On a separate occasion, while the vehicle was sitting idle the frontal driver's and passenger's side air bags deployed which caused all of the windows to shatter. No one was in the vehicle at the time of failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they refused to repair the vehicle since the battery was purchased from a third party. …”
NHTSA complaint #10302396, filed 2010-01, 36,206 milesRelated recalls
- 19V015000Jan 14, 2019DO NOT DRIVEBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2000-2003 525i Sedan, 530i Sedan, 540i Sedan, 2001-2003 525i Sports Wagon and 540i Sports…Covers: BMW 540I 2000–2003, X5 SAV 2000–2004, 525I 2000–2003 +1 more
Related service bulletins
- 10160287Apr 1, 2019TAKATA AIR BAG RECALL-RELATED SHORT-TERM ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION AND CONSEQUENTIAL REPAIRS This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B01 31 18 dated October 2018.
- 10160244Apr 1, 2019TAKATA AIR BAG RECALL-RELATED SHORT-TERM ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION AND CONSEQUENTIAL REPAIRS This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B01 31 18 dated October 2018.
- 10153726Jan 1, 2019Takata class action settlement. Customer support program. Front driver side airbag modules.
- 10149557Oct 1, 2018For the above-referenced vehicles with driver?s side airbag modules, BMW of North America, LLC (?BMW NA?) will provide a Customer Support Program as outlined in the Takata…
- 10154816Feb 1, 2018In an effort to improve the completion rate on Takata air bag recall affected vehicles; BMW NA has expanded the BMW Ultimate Rewards platform to include a new Recall Support…
Air bags: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 17% |
| 2019 | 1 | 8% |
| 2018 | 14 | 45% |
| 2017 | 5 | 25% |
| 2003 | 2 | 29% |
| 2002 | 2 | 17% |
| 2001 | 5 | 33% |
| 2000 | 8 | 26% |
| 1999 | 2 | 9% |
| 1998 | 1 | 4% |
| 1997 | 1 | 4% |
Other parts of the 2000 BMW 540I
8 complaintsEngine cooling
8 complaintsExterior lighting
3 complaintsEngine
2 complaintsOther or unknown
2 complaintsBrakes
1 complaintsFuel system
1 complaintsSteering
1 complaintsTires
1 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2000 BMW 540I
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 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