1998 BMW 540I engine and engine cooling problems
16 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine and engine cooling on the 1998 BMW 540I — 62% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“White steam was coming from under the hood onto the front windshield. The steam was fogging the windshield, and causing poor visibility while driving 50-55 mph. Consumer was able to get the vehicle to a repair shop. Dealer informed the consumer that the upper neck connector of the radiator hose…”
filed Jan 27, 2005
“2nd catastrophic radiator failure. Not a leak, the neck breaks off causing immediate loss of cooling. 1st radiator at 45k, 2nd at 92k. Based on other's experiences, this is very common for this model (and even longer life than many). Causes loss of vision due to amount of steam released. Less…”
filed Jan 6, 2005
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
SERVICE ACTION: PROGRAM DME (FOR O2 SENSORS): Due to DME software error, the following oxygen sensors plausibility fault codes may be stored in DME 5.2.1 control module:
B122817 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2017
Engine and Engine Cooling problems in other 540I years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 540I | 8 | 26% |
| 1999 540I | 5 | 23% |
| 1997 540I | 13 | 48% |
Other reported problem areas on the 1998 BMW 540I
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.