NHTSA vehicle safety data

2023 BMW 540I Recalls & Complaints

The 2023 BMW 540I has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 6 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized BMW dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2023 BMW 540I. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

2023 BMW 540I owner complaints

Owners have filed 6 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 BMW 540I, describing incidents dated February 15, 2023 to October 10, 2026.

Most-cited components

Back Over Prevention 2 complaints
Service Brakes 2 complaints
Power Train 1 complaint
Structure 1 complaint
Tires 1 complaint
Vehicle Speed Control 1 complaint

Of the 6 complaints on file, 2 report a crash (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11772165 · Filed October 19, 2026
I received a recall notice for my vehicle that states that the connection between the driveshaft and rear differential may, over time, be subject to excessive wear. This could lead to a loss of power to the rear wheels, WHICH INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH, OR A ROLLAWAY IF THE VEHIOCLE IS NOT…
ODI #11739085 · Filed May 20, 2026
My vehicle offers rear traffic alert system, but it is not working properly. It's a safety issue that I almost caused several accidents because of it. The vehicle is available for inspection. Safety to me and others are at risk because the feature is not working (rear traffic alert system). I have…
ODI #11616727 · Filed September 26, 2024
About June 2024 when I was driving downslope at about 30 MPH, when I hit break the car accelerated. Fortunately, nobody and no car were around and I gained control of the car by pumping the break. I did not think much about this issue to report it. On August 23, 2024, I was driving home. I was very…

Read all 6 complaints

Loss of Rear Wheel Power from Driveshaft Damage

NHTSA #26V525000 · Power Train — Driveline — Driveshaft · NHTSA notice

Reported August 12, 2026 · BMW of North America, LLC

Potentially affected: 36,823 vehicles

Completion not yet reported (dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified October 8, 2026

Defect description

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2026 840i, 840i xDrive, 2021-2023 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, and 2024-2026 750e xDrive vehicles. The connection between the driveshaft and the rear differential may become damaged, possibly resulting in a loss of power to the rear wheels or a vehicle rollaway.

Safety consequence

An unexpected loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. In addition, a damaged driveshaft can result in a vehicle rollaway if the parking brake is not applied, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will inspect the connection between the driveshaft and rear axle differential, and apply adhesive or replace the driveshaft and rear axle differential, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 8, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 2, 2026.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 2023 BMW 540I. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

6 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2023 BMW 540I.

Power Train

ODI #11772165

Incident: October 10, 2026 · Filed: October 19, 2026

I received a recall notice for my vehicle that states that the connection between the driveshaft and rear differential may, over time, be subject to excessive wear. This could lead to a loss of power to the rear wheels, WHICH INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH, OR A ROLLAWAY IF THE VEHIOCLE IS NOT SECURED WITH A PARKING BRAKE. This is a serious safety issue, but the manufacturer failed to state when the repair is to be made or how to safely drive the vehicle with the stated defect.

Back Over Prevention

ODI #11739085

Incident: May 19, 2026 · Filed: May 20, 2026

My vehicle offers rear traffic alert system, but it is not working properly. It's a safety issue that I almost caused several accidents because of it. The vehicle is available for inspection. Safety to me and others are at risk because the feature is not working (rear traffic alert system). I have an appointment on May 28, 2026 to have the BMW dealership look into it. There were no warning lamps or messages.

Structure; Vehicle Speed Control; Service Brakes

ODI #11616727

Crash

Incident: August 23, 2024 · Filed: September 26, 2024

About June 2024 when I was driving downslope at about 30 MPH, when I hit break the car accelerated. Fortunately, nobody and no car were around and I gained control of the car by pumping the break. I did not think much about this issue to report it. On August 23, 2024, I was driving home. I was very close to my home at very low speed (about 1-2 MPH). I hit the break and the car accelerated for the second time crashing into my next door neighbor's house damaging his bushes, steps, spriklers and the gate. My car sustained considerable amount of damages. It was in the BMW Authorized body shop about a month. I received the car on 9/25/2024.

Back Over Prevention

ODI #11580316

Incident: February 15, 2023 · Filed: March 31, 2024

The rear cross tracking warning system does not provide an audible warning or apply brakes. The settings have been set, and verified with the dealer, including the most sensitive sensor level and loudest audio alert level. I have gone to two different dealers in Ohio and Florida and got the same response, “it works as designed”. My brother in law has a 2023 BMW 440i and has the same issue, with the same results with dealer responses. It’s a well known issue in the BMW community since 2019 models, yet the company doesn’t fix. Not only is it dangerous backing out of parking spaces etc., but it causes a lack of faith in the other critical safety features which you rely on, but cannot easily check; like adaptive cruise and forward collision features.

Service Brakes

ODI #11579823

Crash

Incident: March 23, 2024 · Filed: March 27, 2024

Car did not fully stop when brakes engaged. Caused collision with a wall. Mechanics are currently evaluating the braking system but it appears to be consistent with the brake recall issued for other 2023-4 BMW vehicles—loss of power brake assist or antilock brake to not function properly. (See National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Campaign Number 24V-104 reported on February 12, 2024).

Tires

ODI #11554515

Incident: October 11, 2023 · Filed: November 10, 2023

size 19. I have had two tires fail in 3 months. Less than 3k miles on both. There was no road hazard but both tires blew out on the side.

Other BMW 540I model years

Check your 2023 BMW 540I VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your BMW 540I at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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