- Vehicles
- 1,615
- Built between
- Aug 1998 – Sep 1998
- Models
- 5
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 26 February 1999
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 1998 and September 1998. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1999 BMW 540IBuilt August 1998 to September 1998
- 1999 BMW 540IABuilt August 1998 to September 1998
- 1999 BMW 540IATBuilt August 1998 to September 1998
- 1999 BMW 740IABuilt August 1998 to September 1998
- 1999 BMW 740ILABuilt August 1998 to September 1998
What the defect is
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. 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.
What could happen
The cable insulation can be worn away, exposing the wire. The wire could contact the clip or a short circuit could occur.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL APPLY A THICKNESS OF INSULATING TAPE TO THE CABLE IN THE AREA OF THE CLIP, AND INSTALL A REVISED CLIP.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 1998 to September 1998
- Recall reported to NHTSA4 January 1999
- Owners notified26 February 1999
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 4 January 1999.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Owner notification began february 26, 1999.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 1-800-831-0117. Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.