1998 BMW 540I Problems & Recalls

While stopped (engine still running) at a gas station, the driver side airbag and driver side side curtain airbag both went off. The battery disconnect feature was also triggered. Very lucky I wasn't driving when this occurred.

WHITE STEAM WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD ONTO THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE STEAM WAS FOGGING THE WINDSHIELD, AND CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING 50-55 MPH. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP. DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE UPPER NECK CONNECTOR OF THE RADIATOR HOSE BRO...

Mileage: 86,000

2ND CATASTROPHIC RADIATOR FAILURE. NOT A LEAK, THE NECK BREAKS OFF CAUSING IMMEDIATE LOSS OF COOLING. 1ST RADIATOR AT 45K, 2ND AT 92K. BASED ON OTHER'S EXPERIENCES, THIS IS VERY COMMON FOR THIS MODEL (AND EVEN LONGER LIFE THAN MANY). CAUSES LOSS OF VISION DUE TO AMOUNT OF STEAM RELEASED. LESS EXPERI...

Mileage: 92,801

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A BUSY STREET ONE EVENING AND AS I CAME TO A LIGHT, SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF MY HOOD. FORTUNATELY IT WAS IN THE EVENING AND TRAFFIC WAS LIGHTER THAN USUAL. I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HAVING KNOWN OTHERS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO, I FIRST CHECKED TH...

Mileage: 49,000

PLASTIC NECK OF RADIATOR ON MY '98 BMW 540IA BROKE COMPLETELY AND SUDDENLY ON HIGHWAY. WHITE SMOKE CAME OUT UNDER THE HOOD. SAW TEMP GAUGE CLIMB UP RAPIDLY. PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. NO ONE WAS HURT LUCKILY. *NM

Mileage: 61,000

MULTIPLE COOLANT DEFECTS ON THE 1998 540. THE CAR HAS NOW HAD 3 RADIATORS, 3 THERMASTATS, WATER TUBE SEALS REPLACED TWICE, AND A WATER PUMP. THE COSTS HAVE BEEN OVER $3,500. THESE LEAKS ARE NOT JUST EXPENSIVE, THEY POSE A REAL DANGER TO CAUSING PERSONAL INJURY AND DAMAGE. THE FAILURE RATE IS KNO...

Mileage: 60,139

MULTIPLE COOLANT DEFECTS ON THE 1998 540. THE CAR HAS NOW HAD 3 RADIATORS, 3 THERMASTATS, WATER TUBE SEALS REPLACED TWICE, AND A WATER PUMP. THE COSTS HAVE BEEN OVER $3,500. THESE LEAKS ARE NOT JUST EXPENSIVE, THEY POSE A REAL DANGER TO CAUSING PERSONAL INJURY AND DAMAGE. THE FAILURE RATE IS KNO...

Mileage: 60,139

MULTIPLE COOLANT DEFECTS ON THE 1998 540. THE CAR HAS NOW HAD 3 RADIATORS, 3 THERMASTATS, WATER TUBE SEALS REPLACED TWICE, AND A WATER PUMP. THE COSTS HAVE BEEN OVER $3,500. THESE LEAKS ARE NOT JUST EXPENSIVE, THEY POSE A REAL DANGER TO CAUSING PERSONAL INJURY AND DAMAGE. THE FAILURE RATE IS KNO...

Mileage: 60,139

ENGINE COOLING RADIATOR HOSE FITTING BROKE OFF. LOST ALL COOLANT ON HIGHWAY. DEALER REPLACED RADIATOR UNDER WARRANTY AND STATED IT IS COMMON FAILURE ON 540I BMW DUE TO PLASTIC PARTS NOT STONG ENOUGH TO RESIST TEMPERATURE. WELL DOCUMENTED ON PRIVATE WEB SITES.

Mileage: 50,339

DRIVER-SIDE FRONT WHEEL BEARING MAKES NOISE WHEN WHEEL SPINS FREELY. THIS WAS REPORTED SEVERAL TIMES TO DEALER IN PAST. DEALER REPLACED PASSENGER-SIDE FRONT BEARING ! DRIVER-SIDE BERAING STILL NOISY. WAITING FOR COMPLETE FAILURE TO PROVE DEALER WRONG. FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS ARE MARGINALLY DESIGNED ...

Mileage: 51,488

BOTH SUN VISORS CRACKED ALONG WELD SEAM. REPLACED BY DEALER. TEMPERATURE CONTROL SWITCHE COVERS BROKEN. REPLACED BY DEALER. NOTICED THE DESIGN OF NEW COVERS IS DIFFERENT AND ELIMINATES RISK OF FAILURE. PARKING BRAKE DOESN'T HOLD. DEALER ADMITS BAD DESIN AND TRIED DIFFERENT SHOES WITHOUT SUCCESS IN...

Mileage: 33,224

SUNROOF FAILED AND MOVING UP AND DOWN ON BUMPS. DEALER REPLACED SLIDING MECHANISM. STILL RATTLES AND DOESN'T FUNCTION PROPERLY. DEALER DECLINES TO FIX UNDER WARRANTY. DOOR SEALS SQUEEK. DEALER LUBRICATED THEM. SILL SQUEEK AFTER A FEW DAYS. ALL CUP HOLDERS BROKEN. DEALER REPLACED THEM.

Mileage: 36,000

TRUNK LATCH FAILED. TRUNK STAYS OPEN. DEALER REPLECED ACTUATOR.

Mileage: 38,288

ENGINE DOESN'T REV UP ABOVE 4500 RPMS AND MISFIRES. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ON. DEALER REPLACED ONE OF TWO CATALYTIC CONVERTERS UNDER WARRANTY. ACCORDING TO PRIVATE CLUBS ABD WEB SITES OF BMW OWNERS, 540I CAT CONVERTERS LAST 50KMILES ONLY.

Mileage: 45,838

ENGINE IDLES ROUGH AND STALLS WHILE DRIVING. DEALER REPLACED FAULTY CAMSHAFT SENSOR UNDER WARRANTY.

Mileage: 39,787

RADIATOR NECK SHEARED OFF WITHOUT WARNING WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY. CAUSED IMMEDIATE LOSS OF COOLANT AND EMERGENCY STOP. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED.

Mileage: 67,000

SECOND RADIATOR FAILURE AT 56,254 MILES IN 10/19/2001 CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY. DT

RADIATOR FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. STEAM OBSCURRED VISION. DT

TECHNICIANS TOLD ME THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM SINCE MANUFACTURER SWITCH TO PLASTIC RADIATORS. THE UPPER HOSE FITTING BROKE OFF THE RADIATOR. *PH *JB **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS**762585

Mileage: 54,385

ENGINE ENTERMITTENTLY STALLED WHEN THE CLUTCH IS DEPRESSED WHILE DRIVING AND IS RELATED TO AN INTERMITTENT LOW RMP ENGINE MALFUNCTION. YH

HANDLES (2 INCIDENTS) BROKE OFF IN THE NORMAL ACTION OF OPENING THE DOOR. NOTHING EXTRAORDINARY ABOUT THE SITUATION. SEEMS A VERY CHEAP COMPONENT ON A VERY SAFETY CONSCIOUS VEHICLE. *AK

STEERING WHEEL COLUMN ADJUSTMENT FAILS. MAKING ADJUSTMENT OF STEERING WHEEL AND VEHICLE SAFE TO OPERATE. STEERING WHEEL AND FRONT SEAT ADJUMENTS FAIL TO OPERATE FORCING OPERATOR TO DRIVE WITHOUT ABILITY TO ADJUST STEERING WHEEL OR SEAT. HAS FORCED ME TO ABANDON VEHICLE.

DRASTIC ENGINE POWER LOSS 4-5000RPM. THIS PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON HTTP://WWW.BIMMER.ORG/5SERIES/MESSAGES/. DEALER HAS NO KNOWLEDGE.

TRUNK LATCH FAILED. *YC

INTERIOR DOOR LATCH/HANDLE BROKEN AND FELL OFF OF DOOR, MUST BE OPENED FROM THE EXTERIOR. MJS

CATALYTIC CONVERTER SYSTEM FAILED. *YC

CONSUMER MAY BE DRVING AT ANY GIVEN SPEED. WHEN HE BEGINS TO SLOW DOWN OR IF HE DOWNSHIFTS AND TURNS, ENGINE WILL SHUT DOWN, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKING CONTROL. BMW DEALERSHIPS CANNOT FIND A CAUSE. *AK

I HAVE DRIVE STANDARD TRANSMISSIONS FOR OVER 40 YEARS, I HAVE NEVER HAD A CLUTCH PROBLEM UNTIL A PURCHASED A '95 540I (KNOW FOR POORLY DESIGNED CLUTCHES, PARTICULARLY THE PRESSURE PLATE). I BOUGHT THIS NEW '98 WITH HOPES THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED, NO SUCH LUCK. IF I HAD THE FAILURE ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY...