https://plaincars.com/make/bmw-540iat New NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for the BMW 540iat. en-us Sun, 18 Oct 2026 08:38:55 GMT https://plaincars.com/make/bmw-540iat https://plaincars.com/make/bmw-540iat#complaint-533851 Fri, 06 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT RADIATOR FAILURE AT 42K MILES. AFTER READING SIGNIFICANT ARTICLES RELATED TO BMW E39 RADIATOR FAILURES, MINE FOLLOWED SUIT. THERE ARE COUNTLESS INSTANCES OF THE V8 MODELS SHOWING A CONSISTENT PATTERN OF RADIATOR FAILURES WHICH OFTEN ARE CATASTROPHIC AND LIFE THREATENING. https://plaincars.com/make/bmw-540iat https://plaincars.com/make/bmw-540iat#complaint-476221 Thu, 20 May 2004 00:00:00 GMT CHECK COOLANT LEVEL LIGHT COMES ON. RADIATOR LEAKS, ALMOST OVER HEATED AND LEFT ME STRANDED. PART REPLACED AT OWNERS EXPENSE. STILL HAVE OLD RADIATOR. *AK https://plaincars.com/make/bmw-540iat https://plaincars.com/make/bmw-540iat#complaint-461111 Wed, 17 Mar 2004 00:00:00 GMT 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 W https://plaincars.com/make/bmw-540iat https://plaincars.com/make/bmw-540iat#complaint-439981 Mon, 10 Nov 2003 00:00:00 GMT 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 https://plaincars.com/make/bmw-540iat https://plaincars.com/make/bmw-540iat#complaint-275364 Wed, 21 Feb 2001 00:00:00 GMT 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