Total Complaints
3 filings
BMW 540IAT · model year
1999 BMW 540IAT
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 1999BMW540IAT 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 540IAT is power train:automatic transmission with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:cooling system:radiator assembly (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module (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 540IAT. 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 |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040317SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
COMPLETE ABS FAILURE WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS. THE ABS CONTROL MODULE CONTROLLED EACH WHEEL DIFFERENTLY AT DIFFERENT TIMES, CAUSING THE CAR TO BUCK WILDLY AT HIGHWAY SAFE SPEEDS. WHILE BRAKING, THE CONTROLLER WENT BAD (WAS REPORTED TO DEALER PREVIOUSLY AND TOLD IT WAS THE BRAKE PADS - CHANGED AND STILL HAD ISSUE) , LOCKED UP THE REAR WHEELS, CAUSED SLIDING CONDITION IN TRAFFIC, NEARLY COLLIDING WITH OTHER CARS AND UNDERPASS BARRICADE. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIME AND HAS BEEN REPORTED TO DEALER (NONE AT SPEEDS - 10 MPH OR UNDER - CONTROLLABLE AT THOSE SPEEDS). *NM
20031110ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
RADIATOR FAILURE ON 1999 540 TOURING - DISABLES THE VEHICLE NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE FROM RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WHERE THE PANIC COULD ENDANGER OTHER DRIVERS, TO THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE IN THE DEAD OF WINTER BY YOURSELF. *AK - STEAM FROM FAILED RADIATOR BLOCKS VISION OF THE ROAD, OR WHATEVER ELSE IS IN THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT CORNER OF THE VEHICLE. - FAILURE CAN NOT BE PREDICTED BY VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE RADIATOR.
Mileage: 61,000
20010221POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
I HAVE EXPERIENCED AN OCCASIONAL HARD DOWNSHIFT OR CLUNK WHEN SLOWING MY VEHICLE AND THEN BRISKLY ACCELERATING. THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE PROBLEM REPORTED IN SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 240300.*AK
Compare 1999BMW540IAT to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1999 BMW 540IAT have?▼
The 1999 BMW 540IAT has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 BMW 540IAT?▼
The most-complained component for the 1999 BMW 540IAT is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE.
Is the 1999 BMW 540IAT 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 540IAT; 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.