BMW bulletin B160423
What it says?BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective July 12, 2023) on certain Model Year 2023 - 2024 BMW vehicles that were produced between July 21, 2022, and July 11, 2023. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 1, 2023, received Aug 28, 2023, about the electrical system — 2 documents under this number. It names 4 model years (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 communication?BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective July 12, 2023) on certain Model Year 2023 - 2024 BMW vehicles that were produced between July 21, 2022, and July 11, 2023. A software logic error in the diagnostic module for tank leaks (DMTL) could cause the Service Engine Soon light (MIL) to not turn on when there is an electrical fault with pump or diverter valve for the DMTL even after several driving cycles with the fault/s being currently present.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B160423 | Service bulletin | Aug 1, 2023 | 10242687 | not found |
| B160423 | Service bulletin | Jul 1, 2023 | 10241365 | 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 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 67 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 17 of them name Electrical System, Engine — 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.
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
The car warning flashes “drivetrain fault”. Then after about 5 seconds the car put itself into neutral and started to slow down. I pulled off to the side of the highway before it stopped on its own . I was not able to start the car back up. I got it towed to the dealership .
2023 BMW i7 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Feb 28, 2024 · ODI 11574599
Vehicle Symptom: The vehicle exhibits a persistent rough idle and engine hesitation specifically when at operating temperature. This issue is most prevalent during "Auto Start/Stop" transitions and while idling in heavy traffic.
2023 BMW 7 Series · Engine · filed with NHTSA Mar 19, 2026 · ODI 11725700
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 group125 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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… |
| B610625 | Service bulletin | Aug 31, 2026 | Check Control message: "You can continue driving. Drivetrain” (00029) is displayed. The following fault code is stored in the CCU fault memo… |
| 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… |
| 0064450200 | Service campaign | Aug 12, 2026 | A faulty electric auxiliary heater may have been installed in the certain vehicles. This could result in thefailure of the electric auxiliar… |
| B652026 | Service bulletin | Jul 23, 2026 | The Central Information Display (CID) side of the Multifunction Display (MFD) may flicker intermittently. Theflickering manifests itself in… |
| B840226 | Service campaign | Jul 10, 2026 | Once the Telematics Module (TCB2) enters sleep mode, a BMW Data Services trigger for Remote Services… |
| B610126 | Service bulletin | Jun 11, 2026 | SITUATION During vehicle start-up the Secure Element (SE) of the BCP may fail causing communication errors. TheCheck Control message “Drive… |
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 B160423 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 B160423 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 B160423 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years: 2023 BMW 7 Series, 2023 BMW X5, 2023 BMW XM, 2023 BMW i7. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.