BMW bulletin B110221
What it saysWith the court's FINAL approval, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) has entered into a nationwide settlement with the plaintiffs in the following class action: Gelis, et al. v. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 1, 2021, received Sep 7, 2021, about the equipment — 2 documents under this number. It names 12 model years (2016–2018). 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 court's FINAL approval, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) has entered into a nationwide settlement with the plaintiffs in the following class action: Gelis, et al. v. Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft and BMW of North America, LLC.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B110221 | Service bulletin | Sep 1, 2021 | 10204656 | not found |
| B110221 | Service bulletin | Jul 1, 2021 | 10201140 | 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.
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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 12 model years this bulletin names have filed 626 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 36 of them name Power Train — 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.
The contact owns a 2018 BMW X4. The contact stated that when she would stop the vehicle for a traffic signal, the vehicle would independently shift into park (P). The contact stated that the failure had started as an intermittent failure but had gradually become a recurring failure. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated.
2018 BMW X4 · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Jul 26, 2023 · ODI 11534537
While driving on the highway during rain I went to pass a car and pushed the gas pedal and the car seemed to spin out a little and then the engine lost most of its power and started to sputter and gargle as if it was going to stall out. The warning for power train failure came on. Very dangerous on a freeway of speeds up to 60+.
2016 BMW 4 Series · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Apr 9, 2020 · ODI 11320630
Transmission - uncommanded change from drive to park the auto start/stop feature turns the car off when you stop and back on when you start. The fault is that it intermittently puts the transmission in park or neutral. It happens when you take your foot off the brake, while it is restarting the vehicle.
2016 BMW X3 · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Nov 7, 2018 · ODI 11149963
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 equipment
Source: same model, same component group22 other manufacturer communications filed against these BMW models under the same component group (equipment), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the BMW list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| B010122 | Service bulletin | Jan 21, 2026 | With the court's FINAL approval, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) has entered into a nationwide settlement with the plaintiffs in the foll… |
| B610124 | Service bulletin | Jan 6, 2025 | When driving over rough surfaces, a low-frequency rattling noise can be heard inside the vehicle's cabin. The noise typically sounds as tho… |
| B610615 | Service bulletin | Dec 18, 2024 | Washer Fluid Reservoir Rattles While Driving on Rough Roads. Rattling noises heard from vicinity of glove box. The windshield washer reservo… |
| B650121 | Service bulletin | Jun 12, 2024 | SPORADIC FAILURE OR CRACKING NOISE IN BASS SPEAKERS: No Bass or a cracking noise can be heard from the bass speakers. |
| B650421 | Service bulletin | Jun 4, 2024 | RETROFIT SATELLITE RADIO (OPTION CODE SA655): The affected vehicles were produced with Preparation BMW Satellite Radio (option code SA 693)… |
| B640424 | Service bulletin | Mar 8, 2024 | 1. The center air vent on the left (a) is closed. All other air vents on the left side then only blow cold air intothe passenger area. OR… |
| B610321 | Service bulletin | Feb 28, 2024 | SITUATION BMW AG is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Recall (effective April 23, 2021) on a certain Model Year 2020 - 2021 BMW vehicles th… |
| B654123 | Service bulletin | Dec 21, 2023 | Quality improvements and robustness measures are to be implemented on the affected vehicles via thissoftware update. The software update im… |
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 B110221 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 B110221 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 B110221 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 12 model years: 2016 BMW 2 Series, 2018 BMW 3 Series, 2017 BMW 3 Series, 2016 BMW 3 Series, 2016 BMW 4 Series, 2016 BMW 5 Series and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.