Total Complaints
3 filings
BMW 540 · model year
1999 BMW 540
3 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1999BMW540 carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1999 540 is engine and engine cooling:cooling system with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:cooling system:radiator assembly (1) and vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 1999 540. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20050210VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 5 MPH THE ACCELERATOR BECAME STUCK. *NM *JB
20041205ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
1. NO SYMPTOMS; 2. CRACKED RADIATOR NECK, THAT WAS FORTUNATLY CAUGHT JUST PRIOR TO A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THE RADIATOR NECK BROKE IN MY HAND AS I WAS REMOVING IT. 3.REPLACED RADIATOR. *AK
Mileage: 96,000
20021203ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
ACCORDING TO REPAIR FACILITY (BMW DEALER), THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, POORLY DESIGNED/MANUFACTURED RADITOR, THAT BMW WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE. THEY WILL NOT EVEN RE-DESIGNED AND OR MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO CURRECT RADIATOR DESIGN FOR THE 540 MODEL. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. DT
Compare 1999BMW540 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1999 BMW 540 have?▼
The 1999 BMW 540 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 BMW 540?▼
The most-complained component for the 1999 BMW 540 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL.
Is the 1999 BMW 540 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1999 BMW 540; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.