1999 BMW 540IA Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 2about this part
- Share
- 20%of 10 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 100,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 2 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 1999 BMW 540IA, 20% of the 10 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 100,000 miles. 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.
“- the contact owns a 1999 Bmw 540IA with failure mileage of 100,000 miles. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH he began having problems with the transmission. The contact stated that the gears began to function improperly, and could not be operated in 1st through reverse gears. The contact took the vehicle to the Bmw dealer, where they stated that there was nothing that they would do to fix the recall. They refused to repair the vehicle without cost because the recall was issued by NHTSA and not by them. …”
NHTSA complaint #10187806, filed 2007-04, 100,000 miles“I have a 1999 540i and the reverse has stopped working completely. The forward gears work perfectly but the reverse suddenly stopped working. I have read many similar stories.”
NHTSA complaint #10284644, filed 2009-09Related recalls
- 99V005000Jan 4, 1999Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with a 5hp24 automatic transmission. Premature wear of the ring gear can occur, leading to the loss of 1st…Covers: BMW 540IA 1999, 540IAT 1999, 740IA 1999 +1 more
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
Other parts of the 1999 BMW 540IA
← All problems reported for the 1999 BMW 540IA
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