BMW 540 Recalls

On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 5HP24 automatic transmission, premature wear of the ring gear can occur, leading to the loss of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and reverse gears. If this problem occurs, the car may no longer operate in reverse, lst, 2nd, or 3rd gears.

On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 18-inch tires (18-inch tires are standard equipment on the M5 and optional equipment on the 7-Series models), the machine used to mount and inflate the tires on the wheels at the assembly plant may have damaged the sidewall of one or more tires. The damaged area could weaken to the point where a sudden loss of air from the tire could occur. Handling and control would be drastically affected, increasing the risk of a crash.

On these sport utility vehicles, the lower steering shaft coupling includes a plastic collar which fits over the lower steering rack input shaft. This collar is pushed down onto the steering rack and tightened during assembly. On some of the affected vehicles, the collar may not have been pushed down fully onto the rack at the assembly plant. If this occurs, operation of the vehicle, especially in rough road conditions, can cause the clearance between the collar and the steering rack to increase to the point where the input shaft can separate from the rack, resulting in a loss of steering capability.

The thickness of the main positive electrical cable (generator to starter) insulation is less than specified, making it susceptible to being abraded or cut by the clip that secures the cable to the generator. The cable insulation can be worn away, exposing the wire. The wire could contact the clip or a short circuit could occur. If the vehicle were parked with the engine off, the engine may not restart. If the engine were running and the short occurred, the generator would not charge the battery, affecting the operation of the engine and electrical systems.

During the tire mounting process on certain passenger vehicles (except M5) built with standard (non-sport) suspensions and equipped with Continental ContiTouringContact CH95 EcoPlus tires, size 225/65R16 95H, having DOT codes 4001, 4101, or 4201, the outer sidewall surface of these tires may have been cut by a sharp edge. Operation of the vehicle over a long period of time could lead to a reduction of inflation pressure. Continued driving with low inflation pressure in the tire could ultimately result in damage to the tire, affect vehicle handling and control, and could in some cases result in a vehicle crash.

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2002 BMW 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 323Ci, 325Ci, 330Ci, M3, 323iT, 325iT and 325xiT vehicles, 2001-2002 525i, 530i, 540i, M5, 525iT and 540iT vehicles, and 2001-2003 X5 3.0i, X5 4.4i, and X5 4.6is vehicles. These vehicles may have had a driver-side air bag module installed as replacement equipment such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bag, or as a remedy part for a prior recall. These replacement modules contain an air bag inflator that may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to lower absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

On certain sport utility vehicles, there is a plastic carrier to which the oil filter housing is attached. Oil supply and return lines are attached to the filter housing. Over time, this carrier could sag slightly. If this happens, one of the oil lines, which are armored with steel mesh, could come into contact and chafe a steel brake line located immediately underneath. Continued chaffing can cause the anticorrosion coating of this brake line to fail, allowing the brake line to rust through and leading to loss of brake fluid, failure of the rear brake circuit, extended stoppage distances, and possible crash.

The brake lamps in these vehicles are controlled by a switch activated by the movement of the brake pedal. This switch could fail internally, causing it to remain either in the "brake lamps off" position or in the "brake lamps on" position If this happens, the brake lamps either will not operate or will be continuously illuminated, regardless of brake pedal position.

On certain sport utility vehicles, over an extended period of time, abrasion particles could deposit on the electrical contacts within the transmission gear position indicator switch, causing a disruption of the electric current through the contacts. If the disruption occurs when the vehicle is stationary with the transmission in the Neutral or Park positions, the transmission will switch automatically into the emergency program, which is displayed in the instrument cluster via a warning lamp and a message, "TRANS. FAIL-SAFE PROG." In this case, the vehicle can be driven in lower gears only with limited engine output. If this problem occurs, the ability to maintain speed in traffic and/or accelerate could be greatly diminished, possibly leading to a crash.

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2025 330i, 330i xDrive, 530i, 530i xDrive, 4 Series Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive), 4 Series Convertible (430i, 430i xDrive), 4 Series Gran Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive) and X3 30 xDrive vehicles. The electrical connection between the starter-generator and battery may come loose.