BMW bulletin B120422
What it saysBMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective December 1, 2022) on certain Model Year 2023 BMW iX SAV vehicles that were produced between October 5, 2022 and November 10, 2022. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jul 1, 2023, received Jan 30, 2023, about the power train — 3 documents under this number. It names 2 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.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationBMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective December 1, 2022) on certain Model Year 2023 BMW iX SAV vehicles that were produced between October 5, 2022 and November 10, 2022. A bearing in the front electric drive unit could fail due to a manufacturing defect, resulting in a noise while driving.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B120422 | Service bulletin | Jul 1, 2023 | 10241363 | not found |
| B120422 | Service bulletin | Mar 1, 2023 | 10235176 | not found |
| B120422 | Service bulletin | Dec 1, 2022 | 10230720 | 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 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 70 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 25 of them name Electrical System, 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.
I brought a brand new BMW IX fully electric vehicle in May, 2023. A couple of weeks ago in early September, the “Emergency Call System Malfunction” warning light came on, and I can also smell a chemical burn from the vehicle. I dropped it off to Eastbay BMW in Pleasanton, California. 4350 Rosewood Drive, Pleasanton, California 94588.
2023 BMW iX · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Sep 28, 2023 · ODI 11547159
Car suddenly went into neutral and a drivetrain fault error message popped up. Unable to set to drive to continue driving. Powered off car and back on and same error message
2023 BMW iX · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Oct 27, 2024 · ODI 11622176
Continually get a power loss error while driving and accelerating. Took to BMW dealership and not able to clear error after having the car for a over month
2022 BMW iX · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Dec 23, 2025 · ODI 11706883
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 power train
Source: same model, same component group3 other manufacturer communications filed against the BMW iX under the same component group (power train), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| B330124 | Service bulletin | Jun 6, 2026 | The vehicle will no longer move when put into gear. There may also be loud noise coming from the HEAT*(electric drivetrain)/Rear axles. *Ger… |
| B120523 | Service bulletin | Mar 6, 2026 | The customer states there is a Drivetrain Malfunction message displayed in the instrument cluster. In addition, the following fault memory… |
| MCAS4023 | Service bulletin | Sep 29, 2023 | BMW AG has requested the inspection of all dealer stock of the following part number(s) listed below to ensure the spacer is conformed to d… |
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 B120422 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 B120422 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 B120422 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2023 BMW iX, 2022 BMW iX. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.