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BMW 540IModel year report

2017 BMW 540I Problems

Complaints
20filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
20,500miles, 4 complaints with mileage
Recalls
1campaigns on record
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
24 mpgcombined, 3.0L 6-cyl RWD · 20 city / 30 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2017 BMW 540I (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 20 consumer complaints for the 2017 BMW 540I. The part named most often is air bags, with 5 complaints (25% of the total), followed by electrical system (4) and seats (4). 4 of the complaints include a mileage, and 75% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 20,500 miles. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign and 442 technical service bulletins for this model year. Air bags complaints overlap with 1 recall campaign covering the inflator module and 11 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Electrical system complaints overlap with 175 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: Forward collision avoidance (1), Fuel system (1), Steering (1), Transmission and drivetrain (1).

Example complaints

Air bags: “Passenger seat in 2017 BMW 5 series cars have a well known and not covered fault where in a loud chiming will go off requiring the passenger seatbelt to be buckled. This chime does not stop and continues until the seat belt is buckled. There is nothing in the passengers seat. The noise is very loud and distracting. It occurs at random including driving at highway speeds. Upon bringing this to my dealer's attention they informed me that a service to repair this safety issue would cost over $2,000. …”

NHTSA complaint #11486159, filed 2022-09

Electrical system: “Backup camera is blacking out. Very dangerous. There was a recall for 2018-19 Bmw's but not for 2017 bmws. Forums also report a lot of problems with this reverse camera.”

NHTSA complaint #11403652, filed 2021-03, 21,000 miles

Seats: “Front Passenger Seat Malfunction - Intermittent on and off warning No risk yet but BMW road aside assist confirmed that air bag might not deploy on passenger side Vehicle inspected by Irvine BMW and warning or concerns shown, just tried to bill me without root causing the issue. Yes the warning comes up on and off. Intermittent.”

NHTSA complaint #11448893, filed 2022-01

Seat belts: “I had dropped off the vehicle for swapping out my winter tires for all season tires. Their technicians removed the rear seat belt latches and installed them incorrectly. This work was neither approved by me or mentioned on the work order. I was also not verbally informed of this work being performed. This work was clearly not tested or completed properly by their technicians. It caused the rear seat belts to not latch into place correctly and I was unable to install my child's car seat to the car securely. The work was performed by Bmw of springfield nj. …”

NHTSA complaint #11075186, filed 2018-02, 7,500 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

75% of the 4 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 20,000 and 21,000 miles.

25%0–1050%10–250%25–5025%50–750%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (4 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 20,500 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

2018201920202021202220235202420252026
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 2017 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 RWD3.0L 6-cyl8-speed automatic203024$3,400
540i xDrive AWD3.0L 6-cyl8-speed automatic202923$3,550

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 2017 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. 442 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 442 bulletins →

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 2017 BMW 540I have?

NHTSA recorded 20 consumer complaints for the 2017 BMW 540I as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2017 BMW 540I is reported most often?

Air bags is named most often, in 5 complaints (25% of the total), followed by electrical system with 4.

Has the 2017 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 2017 BMW 540I get?

The EPA rates the 2017 BMW 540I (540i, 3.0L 6-cyl) at 24 mpg combined, 20 city and 30 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,400 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2017 BMW 540I reported?

Among the 4 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 20,500 miles and the middle half falls between 20,000 and 21,000 miles; 75% 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.