The 2021 BMW 540i has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 36,547 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 10 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the service brakes. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
SEAT BELTS21V5540002021-07-2121,537 affected
Defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 2 Series (230i, 230i xDrive, M240i, M240i xDrive), 330e, 330e Xdrive, 4 Series Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive) M4 Coupe, M4 Competition Coupe, BMW 4 Series Convertible (430i, M440i), BMW X1 sDrive28i, xDrive28i, 2 Series Gran Coupe (228i, 228i xDrive,…
Consequence
During a crash, a seat belt retractor that does not function as intended increases the risk of injury.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the seat belt retractors (including the seat belts) and, if necessary, replace the retractors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417; 1-866-825-1525 (MINI); 1-877-877-3735 (Rolls Royce); and…
BACK OVER PREVENTION21V0960002021-02-1913,858 affected
Defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, M550i, X4M, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5M, X5 M50i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, Alpina XB7, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, and 8 Series Coupe, Convertible…
Consequence
If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the missing or reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
POWER TRAIN21V0460002021-02-0328 affected
Defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 530i xDrive, 540i xDrive and 2021 740Li xDrive vehicles. The output shafts (left/right) which transfer power from the driveshaft to the rear wheels may break due to a heat treatment error during supplier production.
Consequence
A broken output shaft can lead to a loss of drive power or a rollaway condition in a parked vehicle (if the parking brake is not engaged), increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the output shaft(s), free of charge. The recall began March 24, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM20V7610002020-12-09812 affected
Defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 M340i xDrive, M440i xDrive Coupe, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 840i Gran Coupe, 840i xDrive Gran Coupe, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, and X7 xDrive40i vehicles. The connection between the 48-Volt battery…
Consequence
Increased electrical resistance can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the connection between the 48-Volt battery and the starter-generator assembly, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 12, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BACK OVER PREVENTION20V5980002020-09-30312 affected
Defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 X3 sDrive 30i, X3 xDrive 30i, X3M 40i, X3 xDrive 30e, X4 xDrive 30i, X4M 40i, 530i, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 550e, 550e xDrive, and 550e iPerformance vehicles. A small portion of the rearview image may be slightly obscured. As such, these…
Consequence
If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, program the rearview camera with updated software. The recall began November 18, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“The contact owns a 2021 bmw 540i. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. There was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle before the vehicle lost motive power. No warning lights…”
“In november 2025 my breaks quit working. I had aaa haul my car to a repair shop. They ran the codes on the car and found that it was related to a recall on 2021 bmw 540i's for the oil vacuum pump assembly, pan and gasket. I then had it towed to bmw and found out that my vin was not in the recall.…”
“We notice the lose of braking power right after we started the car on 4/30 morning. The car was totally fine before that. Took it to the bmw dealer they said the problem is "vacuum/oil pump failing internally. Fault for brake booster pressure switch, no brake boost" I find that there is a recall…”
“Unintended car acceleration, with complete brake failure. No software warning icons in dash, no collision avoidance or abs triggered even though car so equipped. Crashed into rear end of stationery vehicle,. [xxx] , mn police were called. Incident report # attached. (1st image) western national…”
“Unintended car acceleration, with complete brake failure. No software warning icons in dash, no collision avoidance or abs triggered even though car so equipped. Crashed into rear end of stationery vehicle,. [xxx] , mn police were called. Incident report # attached. (1st image) western national…”
“Unintended car acceleration, with complete brake failure. No software warning icons in dash, no collision avoidance or abs triggered even though car so equipped. Crashed into rear end of stationery vehicle,. [xxx] , mn police were called. Incident report # attached. (1st image) western national…”
“The contact owns a 2021 bmw 540i. The contact stated that on multiple occasions, the front and rear passenger’s and driver’s side seat belts failed to detach after being connected. The contact stated that he forced the rear passenger’s side seat belt to detach with a screwdriver. No warning…”
“Intermittent vibration at highway speeds. Brought to the bmw dealership and they stated the right front wheel was out of round. I never hit a pothole or anything that would cause damage. The dealer "repaired" the wheel, but the problem still exists. Brought the vehicle back and am now told that…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationDP22005 Opened 2023-01-27 · closed 2023-08-07
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2021 BMW 540i as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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