BMW 540IT · model year

2000 BMW 540IT

2 NHTSA complaints, and 1 recall campaign listed for this cohort. 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 2000BMW540IT carries 2 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 2000 540IT is power train:driveline with 1 filings, followed by seat belts:rear/other (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 1 NHTSA recall campaign listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 2000 540IT. 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.

2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

2 filings

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

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE1
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER1

Recalls (1)

00V04800017/02/2000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE BRAKE LAMPS IN THESE VEHICLES ARE CONTROLLED BY A SWITCH ACTIVATED BY THE MOVEMENT OF THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS SWITCH COULD FAIL INTERNALLY, CAUSING IT TO REMAIN EITHER IN THE "BRAKE LAMPS OFF" POSITION OR IN THE "BRAKE LAMPS ON" POSITION.

Recent Complaints

20041010SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

BOTH REAR SEAT BELTS HAVE FAILED. THE MECHANISMS HAS NOT ALLOWED THEM TO MOVE IN OR OUT, EFFECTIVELY MAKING THEM USELESS. THE FIRST WAS UNDER WARRANTY, BUT NO PARTS WERE IN STOCK AND WE DID NOT LEAVE THE CAR. ABOUT A MONTH LATER, THE OTHER SIDE BROKE. WE HAD NOT BEEN USING THE CAR AND FINALLY TOOK IT IN AND HAD TO LEAVE IT FOR TWO WEEKS TO GET PARTS AND HAVE THE SEAT BELTS REPLACED AT A COST > $500. *NM

20040315POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH VEHICLE VIBRATED FROM IN THE REAR. CONSUMER HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT REAR DRIVELINE FAILED. *AK

Compare 2000BMW540IT to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2000 BMW 540IT have?
The 2000 BMW 540IT has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2000 BMW 540IT?
Yes, the 2000 BMW 540IT has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2000 BMW 540IT?
The most-complained component for the 2000 BMW 540IT is POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER.
Is the 2000 BMW 540IT 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 2000 BMW 540IT; 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.