Most common 2000 BMW 540i problems
Share of the 31 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
BMW 540i complaints by model year
Best 540i years: 2020. Years to avoid: 2018, 2017, 1998, 1997, 2000. Compare all years →
2000 BMW 540i recalls (2)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2000-2003 525i Sedan, 530i Sedan, 540i Sedan, 2001-2003 525i Sports Wagon and 540i Sports Wagon vehicles, and 2000-2004 X5 SAV 3.0i, X5 SAV 4.4i, and X5 SAV 4.6is vehicles.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle for an optional sports steering wheel with an affected inflator.
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.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the existing brake lamp switch with an improved switch.
What 2000 BMW 540i owners say
Engine & cooling
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 BMW 540i. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH, she heard a loud noise as metal shards started to fall from the engine compartment. The contact mentioned that the check engine and the coolant warning lamps were illuminated before the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that after inspecting the vehicle, she noticed that the clutch fan had become separated and coolant was leaking. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the technician diagnosed that the clutch fan was fractured and cutting through the engine compartment. The manufacturer made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileage was 130,000.
Water pump failure.this is a known defect that involves a high percentage of the e39 540i BMW. The failure of the pump is known to happen between 5000-60000 miles and can put the driver in danger and cause unnecessary expensive repairs to be incurred on a car of this caliber. The water pump failure in my case destroyed the main drive belt leaving me with out power steering, brakes, alternator etc. E39 owners who have had this experience should be reimbursed for the repairs and costs associated with the faulty design and problems associated with the water pump and cooling system.
Air bags
I needed to move the car after it was sitting for about 3 weeks. It would not start due to the battery was run down. As soon as I started charging the battery, the front passenger airbag exploded causing extensive damage to the dashboard and windshield. Thank god my wife was not sitting in the car. I have not contacted anyone about this. It happened a few hours ago. It is about 93 degrees with very high humidity. I am sending this report because someone could have been killed.
Car had sat for about a week since I had driven it. I opened the driver door, inserted the key, and turned the key to the starting position. It failed to crank after the dash lights lit up and then the driver steering wheel airbag deployed in my face. The car was on flat ground and the temperature was not extremely hot or extremely cold. The previous several times I had driven the car there was no indication of an SRS light and the car started perfectly every time.
Electrical system
Tl contact owns a 2000 BMW 540i. She stated that the battery continued to fail on the vehicle which caused several undisclosed electrical failures. The vehicle was taken to the dealer nine times to correct the faulty battery issue, to no avail. On a separate occasion, while the vehicle was sitting idle the frontal driver's and passenger's side air bags deployed which caused all of the windows to shatter. No one was in the vehicle at the time of failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they refused to repair the vehicle since the battery was purchased from a third party. No repairs were made to the vehicle. The failure and current mileages were under 36,206.
I was moving my car in order to park it somewhere else. The car started then complete failure. The car cut off, no power brakes, no power steering. I had to press the brakes very hard to get stoppage. The thermostat shorted out and burned out the main computer. The car would not start. The main computer was replaced, the wiring harness was burned out and several other electronic parts were replaced. The aluminum thermostat housing was melted and was replaced! Total of over $5,000 was required to fix. If a fuse had been there it would have been a couple of hundred dollars and if this had been on the road as speed it could have been extremely dangerous.
2000 BMW 540i engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.4L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
| 4.4L 8-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 14 / 21 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2000 BMW 540i a good car?
Based on 31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2000 540i rates use caution: 1.6× as many complaints as a typical year of the 540i at the same age. It is one of the 540i years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2000 BMW 540i?
The engine & cooling — 10 complaints, 32% of all complaints for this model year, most often about cooling system › radiator assembly. Next are the air bags (8) and electrical system (8).
How many recalls does the 2000 BMW 540i have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2000 BMW 540i, the most recent from January 14, 2019 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the BMW 540i?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2020. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2018, 2017, 1998, 1997 and 2000. See the full BMW 540i years comparison.
At what mileage do 2000 BMW 540i problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 91,000 miles; 19% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.