I went out to my bmw 540i and found the driver's power seat all the way back in the horizontal position. I did not leave it this way, so this was confusing to me. When I attempted to move it back upright into a comfortable driving position, it did not respond- the seat was dead. I could not move it manually, either. I was forced to drive the car a short distance to drop my son off at an activity, so I decided to drive it and lean forward while driving. My plan was to take the car to my local bmw mechanic later that night and drop it off to be repaired. My son and I were only two minutes into our drive, I was leaning forward, and he said "do you smell smoke?" I did smell it, and was looking around to see what was wrong. Then my son said "dad, your seat is on fire!" I looked down, and saw flames coming out from under my seat. We pulled the car over and put out the fire with his water bottle. The heated seats were not being used, this happened on july 19th, during the summer. My local bmw shop is telling me this is a $3100 repair. The part in question that caused the fire, per the claims adjuster, is the "general module." I understand the car is 10 years old, but it simply blows my mind that a car can randomly catch on fire internally like this. Bmw north america is not taking ownership to this situation, and has offered no help.
The worst 2002 BMW 540IA problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Electrical1
- Seats1
- Transmission1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical1
- Seats1
- Transmission1
Recalls 1
Tires: sidewall
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: during the tire mounting process on certain passenger vehicles built with standard (non-sport) suspension and equipped with continental contitouringcontact ch95 ecoplus tires, size 225/65r16 95h, having dot codes 4001, 4101, or 4201, the outer sidewall surface of the 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.
- Risk
- 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.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect all five tires for a possible cut in the sidewall, and if a cut is found, the tire will be replaced. Owner notification began december 10, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact bmw at 1‑800‑831‑1117.
Recall number 01V352000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2002 BMW 540IA 12
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
- Engine will crank but not start
- Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle
- Takata air bag recall-related short-term alternate transportation and consequential repairs
- Takata class action settlement. customer support program. front driver side airbag modules.
- Radio / Navigation / Head Unit Identification Guide
- For the above-referenced vehicles with driver?s side airbag modules, BMW of North America, LLC (?BMW NA?)...
- In an effort to improve the completion rate on Takata air bag recall affected vehicles; BMW NA has...
- Bmw: procedure for determining and replacing incandescent and halogen light bulbs under warranty. rm
- Bmw: a new technical process has been created for bmw to identify causes of steering complaints with a...
What 2002 BMW 540IA owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
On 7/19/2008, my 2002 bmw 540i with automatic transmission caught fire while myself and my wife driving toward an evening party. At first I smell something is burning then see a tiny bit of smoke. I parked the car in a bank of america parking lot and my wife went out to check the car, and she saw fire started to burst. We call 911 and within five minutes, the front end of the car is in flame. The local fire department came the put out the fire. The car is now been tow to a local shop and will be moved to the "total lot" of my insurance company. I did a quick search on the internet, and found out I am not the only one. I hope bmw can find out exactly what cause the fire and fix the problem. My wife and I are lucky since we got out of car soon enough. This is not a good example for bmw such a luxury brand. Sincerely, steve hung
Compare the 2002 BMW 540IA
Other model years
Questions about the 2002 BMW 540IA
Is the 2002 BMW 540IA reliable?
Owners have filed 2 complaints about the 2002 BMW 540IA, fewer than a typical 540IA model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2002 BMW 540IA?
Electrical system, with 1 complaint. Next is seats (1).
How many recalls does the 2002 BMW 540IA have?
1 recall, covering tires.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2002 BMW 540IA?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history