2018 BMW 540I problems
Owners have filed 61 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 BMW 540I. Air bags is the most reported problem area, at 31% of complaints. After that come seat belts (18%) and seats (16%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 61 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 31% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 6 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 5 and 0
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What the data shows
Safety-related details: 6 complaints mention a crash; 5 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2018 ranks 1st most-complained-about out of 6 model years of the BMW 540I with enough data (32 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
The vehicle was at a complete stop, when the gas pedal was tapped to move forward slightly the vehicle suddenly accelerated out of control. There was an attempt to apply the brakes, but the vehicle continued to accelerate and "Drive Train Malfunction" began to flash on the dashboard of the vehicle. The vehicle proceeded to accelerate as it jumped a curb, crashed into a ditch, before finally becoming lodged in a fence and coming to a complete stop when half of the vehicle was lifted off of the ground.
For a few months now, my car has been throwing a "passenger restraint system malfunction" error. It happens sporadically and only stays up for between 1 and 5 minutes at a time. It will happen whether the car is moving or not, and even sometimes as soon as I turn the car on. I have been submitting the telecommunications since it started. I tried to have it fixed by thompson BMW, only to be told, like the other user who has this problem on here, that they think moisture is the culprit.