BMW service campaign 0012870600
What it saysDue to an implementation error in various OBD diagnostics in the vehicle's control units, in very rare cases itmay happen that stored fault memory codes (DTCs) and the MIL (warning light) are not automaticallydeleted… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service campaign dated Oct 10, 2026, received Nov 3, 2026, about the engine — 1 document under this number: B121226. It names 28 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.
Due to an implementation error in various OBD diagnostics in the vehicle's control units, in very rare cases itmay happen that stored fault memory codes (DTCs) and the MIL (warning light) are not automaticallydeleted even though the underlying malfunction has already been rectified. This does not comply with the statutory OBD specifications.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B121226 | Service campaign | Oct 10, 2026 | 11038938 | PDF, 137 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 28 model years this bulletin names have filed 517 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 154 of them name Electrical System, Engine — 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.
Booked the appointment with BMW of Portland for November, 10,2025 For 9 o'clock AM. Arrived at dealership, checked in and left vehicle. I was called about 45 minutes later and informed that they would not be able to preform the recall repair on my car due to parts that were needed and associated with the recall , asked me to pay for it…
2024 BMW 5 Series · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Nov 10, 2025 · ODI 11698655
I own a 2023 BMW 530i affected by NHTSA recall campaign 26V-438 (BMW "Engine Starter" recall), issued July 8, 2026. Per BMW's own recall documentation, unexpected wear on an internal starter component can cause the starter to malfunction and, in an extreme case, cause a thermal event or fire when starting the engine OR while the engine…
2023 BMW 5 Series · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jul 25, 2026 · ODI 11752807
This vehicle has had numerous error codes one time it state vehicle could not be driven because of drivetrain malfunction inter alia vehicle is leaking from moter but is undetected during this recall we had another error code go off showed to tom bush Bmw on atlantic along with liquid leaking from motor/transmission this was in fist 90…
2024 BMW XM · Engine · filed with NHTSA Nov 14, 2024 · ODI 11625126
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 engine
Source: same model, same component group73 other manufacturer communications filed against these BMW models under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the BMW list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1171901000 | Warranty extension | Sep 22, 2026 | The Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Cooler (with EGR Valve) and the Auxiliary Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Cooler limited warranty for de… |
| B121126 | Service bulletin | Sep 9, 2026 | Potential customer complaints with no fault codes stored / No MIL displayed. 1. “Rough idle after idling for a longer period of time” 2. “Ve… |
| 0011460700 | Emissions | Aug 26, 2026 | The return springs on the exhaust camshaft followers (switchable rocker arm) may break. |
| B064426 | Other | Aug 22, 2026 | Air Flap Return |
| B130126 | Service campaign | Aug 14, 2026 | Delivery Stop - Exhaust System Gasket |
| 0018030200 | Service campaign | Aug 14, 2026 | An exhaust gas sealing ring between thelower catalytic converter and upper catalyticconverter may be missing (1). |
| B110326 | Service bulletin | Aug 12, 2026 | This Service Bulletin provides instructions to clean the intake valves using the BMW Carbon Blaster Tool P/N 81 29 2 208 034 and the S68T /… |
| B064126 | Other | Aug 6, 2026 | Fan Return |
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 0012870600 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 0012870600 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 0012870600 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 28 model years: 2026 BMW 3 Series, 2025 BMW 3 Series, 2024 BMW 3 Series, 2023 BMW 3 Series, 2026 BMW 4 Series, 2025 BMW 4 Series 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: 2023 – 2026 BMW: built on or after 12 Nov 2022 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.