BMW bulletin B120223
What it saysDue to a manufacturing defect in the ignition coil BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective June 1, 2023) on a small number of Model Year 2023 - 2024 BMW vehicles. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 1, 2023, received Jul 24, 2023, about the electrical system. It names 7 model years (2022–2023). 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.
Get the next BMW bulletin for your model by email Weekly, only when something new is filed. Nothing else; one-click unsubscribe.
What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationDue to a manufacturing defect in the ignition coil BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective June 1, 2023) on a small number of Model Year 2023 - 2024 BMW vehicles.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B120223 | Service bulletin | Jun 1, 2023 | 10239600 | 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.
Email me new BMW bulletins for one of these models
A weekly email, sent only in a week when BMW files something new with NHTSA for the model you pick — service bulletins, campaigns, warranty extensions, over-the-air notices, every model year. Nothing else is sent; one-click unsubscribe in every message. Separate from recall alerts.
What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 7 model years this bulletin names have filed 250 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 42 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.
Our vehicle dies while driving down the highway, twice now in less than 30 days. I drivetrain and low-power warning came on, but the car died and wouldn't start. The obvious risk is that we were driving on the highway and barely avoided being in an accident as I tried to steer us off the road. The second time we were at a park.
2023 BMW X7 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jul 24, 2023 · ODI 11534138
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
My vehicle has experienced failure of the power control system 4 times. The issue first occurred at 9,905 miles 8 months after my new car purchase. The dealer has attempted repairs under BMW corporate guidance yet the same failure has occurred repeatedly.
2022 BMW X5 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jan 19, 2024 · ODI 11566434
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 group120 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… |
| 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… |
| 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… |
| B651826 | Service bulletin | Jun 23, 2026 | If BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant is active in the vehicle, once the customer exits the vehicle and a newkey cycle starts, the Intellige… |
| B651726 | Service bulletin | Jun 17, 2026 | After a factory reset of the head unit, the navigation voice input cannot be activated or deactivated. |
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 B120223 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 B120223 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 B120223 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 7 model years: 2023 BMW X1, 2022 BMW X1, 2023 BMW X5, 2022 BMW X5, 2022 BMW X6, 2023 BMW X7 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.