IllustrationREVERSE GEAR STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY AND WITH NO SYMPTOMS. *TR
2000 BMW 540IA
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 540IA years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 8 of 8 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports
Power Train complaints
2 reportsAFTER APPROXIMATELY 75,000 MILES ON MY BMW 540I, THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE. THE DEALER SAYS IT HAS INTERNAL SLIPPAGE/DAMAGE AND WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED WITH A REMANUFACUTED ONE. I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH BMW - SEE HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/BMW_TRANS.HTML FOR TESTIMONY OF LO…
Read full complaint
AFTER APPROXIMATELY 75,000 MILES ON MY BMW 540I, THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE. THE DEALER SAYS IT HAS INTERNAL SLIPPAGE/DAMAGE AND WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED WITH A REMANUFACUTED ONE. I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH BMW - SEE HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/BMW_TRANS.HTML FOR TESTIMONY OF LOTS OF OTHER BMW OWNERS WHO LOST REVERSE. IT SURPRISES ME THAT BMW DOESN'T WARRANTY THEIR TRANSMISSIONS/DRIVETRAIN AS LONG AS THE "LOWER QUALITY" AMERICAN AND ASIAN VEHICLE MAKERS DO. BUT IF THE TRANNY ROUTINELY QUITS AROUND THE 60-80K MILE MARK, I GUESS IT'S A SMART BUSINESS DECISION FOR BMW! *TR
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.