Door latch and electrical system issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
When consumers are in need of an executive model, the 2019 BMW 540i seems like an obvious choice. After all, the company claims that this car is “more than a statement – a work of art.” It’s a work of something for sure, but not precise craftsmanship. Owners are complaining about the electrical system, wheels and structure.
The BMW 540i seems to follow Murphy’s Law when it comes to the electrical system. The internet is riddled with complaints from unhappy customers.
Here is one review left on Edmunds. “I have had issues with the backup camera. It works about 75% of the time. The dealer cannot find anything wrong with it. Even after I showed them a video of it not working. There is a message on the dashboard that says Emergency call system malfunction. This blocks out all other information from being displayed including the odometer. The dealer said this is a battery that is back ordered in Germany. They have no idea how long it will take until they will get it. I am trading this car in by the end of the year. I will probably get another Mercedes with a bigger engine.”
It turns out that the backup camera was part of a massive recall. NHTSA Campaign Number 19V684000 states that there is no back-up camera image because of a defect with more than 250,000 vehicles. When this occurs, it increases the chance of an accident. While waiting for repairs, customers could use the space to hang up some real works of art from the kids instead. Then, the tagline might make a little more sense.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Air Bags | |
| Electrical System | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Power Train | |
| Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:column Shift | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal |
Premium vehicles are meant to be built with high-quality materials that are going to last. Otherwise, customers could save a lot of money by choosing a cheap brand. Yet, the BMW 540i can’t seem to get its act together, especially with the tires.
Just look at what this Edmunds review says. “We leased this car new and have had a terrible time with the tires. 4 flat tires in 4 years! At $400 each, this car just isn’t work the money or the hassle. All BMW’s now have run flat tires which can’t be patched so we plan to switch to another luxury brand as soon as we can get out of our lease.”
The company hasn’t issue many communications that the public can assess, so there’s nothing talking about the run-flat tire situation. All that consumers have to go on is what current owners are saying, which isn’t positive. One would think that BMW would want to defend its stance, but the camp has remained silent. The lack of communication only further adds to the tagline, “more than a statement.” Sometimes silence speaks louder than words.
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There’s no reason to believe that a luxury vehicle would suffer from structure-related issues, but this model surely does.
Read this Cars.com customer review. “Very disappointing in reliability and quality. I had to bring it back twice because of a driver’s door that would not secure while in motion. This was in the first month of ownership!”
With this review, it’s clear that it can be difficult to secure the door, but the communications from the automaker suggest otherwise. Service Bulletin #B511319 states that some doors may not open during cold weather. It does go on to state that once the door is opened, it can be difficult to re-latch. It turns out that the problem is caused by a leaking seal in the outer Bowden release cable that allows water to infiltrate the latch and freeze. It’s no wonder that customers are switching to Mercedes. No luxury car owner wants to drive a car that’s more focused on being a “work of art” then it is being structurally sound. Between the tires and the latches, this luxury model is literally falling apart.
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes BMW pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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