BMW bulletin B090221
What it saysWith the introduction of BMW Remote Software Upgrade, all Service Pack 18 vehicles and partial Service Pack 15 vehicles may receive new functionalities or modifications in their features with a new Software Update. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 1, 2023, received Dec 13, 2021, about the electrical system — 2 documents under this number. It names 73 model years (2016–2023). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationWith the introduction of BMW Remote Software Upgrade, all Service Pack 18 vehicles and partial Service Pack 15 vehicles may receive new functionalities or modifications in their features with a new Software Update.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B090221 | Service bulletin | Jun 1, 2023 | 10239599 | not found |
| B090221 | Service bulletin | Oct 1, 2021 | 10204532 | not found |
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.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
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Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themand 24 more on this site: 2018 BMW X3, 2023 BMW X4, 2022 BMW X4, 2021 BMW X4, 2020 BMW X4, 2019 BMW X4, 2023 BMW X5, 2022 BMW X5, 2021 BMW X5, 2020 BMW X5, 2019 BMW X5, 2022 BMW X6, 2021 BMW X6, 2020 BMW X6, 2023 BMW X7, 2022 BMW X7, 2021 BMW X7, 2020 BMW X7, 2019 BMW X7, 2023 BMW Z4, 2022 BMW Z4, 2021 BMW Z4, 2020 BMW Z4, 2019 BMW Z4.
Also filed against model years this site has no page for: 2019 BMW 540D; 2020 BMW 540D; 2018 BMW B7 Alpina; 2019 BMW B7 Alpina; 2020 BMW B7 Alpina; 2021 BMW B7 Alpina; 2021 BMW M760LI; 2022 BMW M760LI; 2019 BMW M850XI.
A 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 64 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,085 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 560 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.
On the 2019 BMW X5, the 19 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 55,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Without warning, the dashboard lights and indicators go dark. The vehicle can be stationary or in motion when it happens. I have contacted the dealer, fields Bmw, twice. The first time the service department replaced the battery on my remote key control, the second time service told me it was a known problem at Bmw and they were working…
2019 BMW X3 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jan 20, 2020 · ODI 11300465
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X7. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the message that the starter motor was overheating was displayed and the vehicle failed to start. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the starter motor. The vehicle was repaired.
2019 BMW X7 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA May 12, 2025 · ODI 11660474
Starter engine failure. Car failed to start multiple times. Major safety hazard that can cause a short circuit, melt wiring harnesses, and spark an engine bay fire posing an immediate threat to life. Problem was inspected and confirmed by a dealer. Multiple waring lamps and messages appeared. Dealer report stated: STARTER MOTOR FAULTY.
2021 BMW 5 Series · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jul 10, 2026 · ODI 11749530
In depth: 2019 BMW X5 electrical problems →
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 group159 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0061610900 | Service campaign | Sep 25, 2026 | The BCP controls several vehicle functions, including the windscreen wipers and air conditioning actuators. Low current flow may cause exces… |
| B611826 | Service bulletin | Sep 17, 2026 | Due to unfavorable software, the Storage Management Electronics (SME) will not show fault codes that trigger the Malfunction Indicator Lamp… |
| 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… |
| 0061880900 | Service campaign | Aug 27, 2026 | In vehicles equipped with the Roof Function Center “FZD‑21” variant, a quiescent‑current violation mayoccur if the system fails to enter sle… |
| 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… |
| B651926 | Service bulletin | Jul 15, 2026 | Activation of the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant voice is not possible via the Multifunction Steering Wheel (MFL) button and/or via the… |
| B840226 | Service campaign | Jul 10, 2026 | Once the Telematics Module (TCB2) enters sleep mode, a BMW Data Services trigger for Remote Services… |
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 B090221 a recall?
No. A service bulletin 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 B090221 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every BMW warranty extension on file lists the ones BMW has filed.
Which vehicles does B090221 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 73 model years: 2023 BMW 2 Series, 2022 BMW 2 Series, 2021 BMW 2 Series, 2020 BMW 2 Series, 2023 BMW 3 Series, 2022 BMW 3 Series and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.