The 2017 BMW 540i has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 33 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 33 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS20V2430002020-04-2933 affected
Defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2017 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i and 540i xDrive and 2017-2018 530e xDrive vehicles. Prior exposure to excessive levels of humidity within the driver and passenger head air bag inflators may affect the proper deployment of the head air bags.
Consequence
In the event of a crash of sufficient severity, deployment of the head air bag may be impaired and/or the igniter could separate from the inflator, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left or right head air bag, free of charge. The recall began June 24, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Complaints by component
AIR BAGS
5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
4
SEATS
4
SEAT BELTS
3
ENGINE
2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
2
SERVICE BRAKES
2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
1
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
1
Total complaints33
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“The contact owns a 2017 bmw 540i equipped with a zenna tires, tire line: argus/uhp, tire size: 275/30/zr20, dot number: 045ynauy84924. The contact stated the driver's side rear tire was slowly deflating. The vehicle was taken to a tire shop, and the technician became aware of bubbles on the tire.…”
“While driving on highways when there is no car in front of me, my car suddenly warns me of collision and applies brakes automatically! This almost caused an accident with the cars behind me. They were about to collide with me from behind because my car was applying brakes automatically without my…”
“While driving on highways when there is no car in front of me, my car suddenly warns me of collision and applies brakes automatically! This almost caused an accident with the cars behind me. They were about to collide with me from behind because my car was applying brakes automatically without my…”
“While driving on highways when there is no car in front of me, my car suddenly warns me of collision and applies brakes automatically! This almost caused an accident with the cars behind me. They were about to collide with me from behind because my car was applying brakes automatically without my…”
“Vehicle has severely poor quality coolant hoses made from poor quality material that cannot withstand the flow of pressure within the coolant system process. Leading to the hoses deteriorating from internal pressure thus causing the coolant hoses to leak. The coolant sensors only indicate low…”
“Driver seat restraint module system malfunction.”
“On g models of the bmw 5 series. Ac coil leaks r1234yf freon which causes safety issue due to the gas being exposed into the cabin of the car and to the atmosphere. Dealerships wants $5000-7000 for this repair as the whole dash needs to come out. This is almost a guaranteed failure and bmw has…”
“1. Airbag light - repaired on 9/18/23 ( cause : pass. Front seat occupancy detection ) a. No explanation needed b. Replaced by dealer c. Warning chime and message on dash d. Labor and part cost $2380.93 2. Instrument cluster - repaired on 9/18/23 ( blackout , loss of speedometer , fuel level ,…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationEA21002 Opened 2021-09-17 · open
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant…
InvestigationEA21002 Opened 2021-09-17 · open
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2017 BMW 540i as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.