BMW bulletin B110317
What it saysN20 AND N26 ENGINE TIMING CHAIN AND OIL PUMP DRIVE CHAIN: Whining noise from the lower engine area near the engine oil pump that increases frequency when increasing the engine RPM. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 1, 2021, received Feb 1, 2021, about the engine — 3 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 communicationN20 AND N26 ENGINE TIMING CHAIN AND OIL PUMP DRIVE CHAIN: Whining noise from the lower engine area near the engine oil pump that increases frequency when increasing the engine RPM. Wear on the engine oil pump chain drive and timing chain sprockets.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B110317 | Service bulletin | Oct 1, 2021 | 10204534 | not found |
| B110317 | Service bulletin | Sep 1, 2021 | 10203331 | not found |
| B110317 | Service bulletin | Dec 1, 2020 | 10186213 | 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.
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. 310 of them name Engine, 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.
On the 2016 BMW 5 Series, the 18 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 80,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
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
The contact owns a 2018 BMW X4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted on several occasions; however, the contact was informed that parts were not available.
2018 BMW X4 · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jul 18, 2025 · ODI 11674611
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 group36 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0012870600 | Service campaign | Oct 10, 2026 | Due to an implementation error in various OBD diagnostics in the vehicle's control units, in very rare cases itmay happen that stored fault… |
| 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… |
| 1613911200 | Warranty extension | Aug 3, 2026 | the NVLD modules limited warranty for defects in materials and/or workmanship has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles as determined fr… |
| B110426 | Service bulletin | Jul 17, 2026 | The manual starting of electronic engine oil level measurement from inside the vehicle, usually afterperforming an engine oil service task… |
| B063926 | Other | Jul 13, 2026 | Starter Generator Return |
| 0099020300 | Emissions | Jul 10, 2026 | Due to an implementation error in various OBD diagnostics in the vehicle's control units, in very rare cases itmay happen that stored fault… |
| 1390900300 | Warranty extension | Jun 29, 2026 | For this vehicle, the EVAP systems purge (vent) valve limited warranty for defects in materials or workmanship has been extended to 15 years… |
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 B110317 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 B110317 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 B110317 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.