BMW service campaign 0012810600
What it saysIn these vehicles with an S68 engine, an incorrect diagnosis of the Valvetronic (VVT) may occur. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service campaign dated Jun 11, 2026, received Jul 3, 2026, about the electrical system — 1 document under this number: B120626. It names 8 model years (2023–2026). A service campaign is not a safety recall — there is no NHTSA campaign number and no federal requirement — but it is usually work the manufacturer pays for on the vehicles it names; the dealer checks the VIN against the manufacturer’s list.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationWhat it applies to, as the document itself states it — the build window in the manufacturer’s own words, read by machine from the PDF NHTSA serves. The build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb; the dealer settles a borderline vehicle by its VIN.
In these vehicles with an S68 engine, an incorrect diagnosis of the Valvetronic (VVT) may occur. Undercertain operating conditions, the software may detect a short-circuit in the valve control system even thoughthere is no fault. When the above-mentioned fault occurs, the red Check Control warning light ‘Drive system fault’ illuminates. This can result in the intake valves closing gradually, which may lead to misfires while the engine is running.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B120626 | Service campaign | Jun 11, 2026 | 11034450 | PDF, 150 KB |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 8 model years this bulletin names have filed 285 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 52 of them name Electrical System — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
6 weeks after purchasing the car, the 'check engine' light came on. The dealer evaluated the car (although it took nearly 2 weeks to simply diagnose the issue) and found that the 'high voltage battery control module' was bad and needed replacement. Then, I waited 2 more weeks for the part to be shipped from Germany.
2024 BMW X5 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Mar 19, 2024 · ODI 11578230
Drivetrain malfunction creating error message of critical failure on brake system and chassis. The first of 2 such issues so far in 4 months of ownership. Car is under original mfr warranty. Dealer charged $600 to fix. This is a PHEV and with the electrical system issues it prevents the car from functioning safely
2023 BMW X5 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Mar 17, 2026 · ODI 11724888
The contact owns a 2026 BMW X5. The contact stated that after several days of not driving the vehicle, the messages "Starter Battery Low," "Starter Battery Severely Discharged”, and “You can Still Drive - However Power-Consuming Functions Disabled to Preserve the Battery," were displayed on the BMW App.
2026 BMW X5 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 12, 2026 · ODI 11756521
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the electrical system
Source: same model, same component group79 other manufacturer communications filed against these BMW models under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the BMW list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| B630526 | Service bulletin | Sep 8, 2026 | After programming the vehicle via ISTA/RSUto I-level …26-03-5xx, customer may reportsome of the interior ambient lighting strips(arrows) may… |
| 0034040300 | Service campaign | Aug 20, 2026 | After replacement of the Integrated Braking system (IB)/Power Brake the total distance covered might be lower than when handed over to the w… |
| B652026 | Service bulletin | Jul 23, 2026 | The Central Information Display (CID) side of the Multifunction Display (MFD) may flicker intermittently. Theflickering manifests itself in… |
| B840226 | Service campaign | Jul 10, 2026 | Once the Telematics Module (TCB2) enters sleep mode, a BMW Data Services trigger for Remote Services… |
| B610126 | Service bulletin | Jun 11, 2026 | SITUATION During vehicle start-up the Secure Element (SE) of the BCP may fail causing communication errors. TheCheck Control message “Drive… |
| B651426 | Service bulletin | Jun 4, 2026 | The vehicle may experience various operational issues with Apple CarPlay Projected Modes such as: Dropped connections No automatic reconnect… |
| B652025 | Service bulletin | May 5, 2026 | After replacing the Multifunctional Display (MFD), the Central Information Display (CID) is black. The backlight of the CID is illuminated… |
| B610926 | Service bulletin | May 4, 2026 | An error in the Battery Management Electronics (SME) can lead to an interruption in communication, which can lead to the high-voltage system… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for BMW, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is BMW 0012810600 a recall?
No. A service campaign is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the 0012810600 repair free?
A service campaign is usually paid by the manufacturer on the vehicles it names, within the terms and time limit the document sets; the dealer checks the VIN against the manufacturer’s list.
Which vehicles does 0012810600 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 8 model years: 2026 BMW X5, 2025 BMW X5, 2024 BMW X5, 2023 BMW X5, 2026 BMW X6, 2025 BMW X6 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone. The document itself sets the build window: F95 X5 M Sports Activity Vehicle: built 13 Mar 2023 – 7 May 2026; F96 X6 M Sports Activity Vehicle: built 9 Mar 2023 – 7 May 2026 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.