BMW bulletin B170218
What it saysPROPER COOLANT BLEEDING PROCEDURE (I12): One or more of the following Check Control (CC) messages are displayed: NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jul 1, 2018, received Oct 9, 2018, about the engine. It names 3 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 communicationPROPER COOLANT BLEEDING PROCEDURE (I12): One or more of the following Check Control (CC) messages are displayed:
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B170218 | Service bulletin | Jul 1, 2018 | 10145328 | 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 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1 of them name 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.
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 group4 other manufacturer communications filed against the BMW i8 under the same component group (engine), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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… |
| B010124 | Service bulletin | Apr 11, 2024 | For the eligible vehicles and for the issue described below, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) is extending the limited warranty for the… |
| B170121 | Service bulletin | Apr 1, 2022 | The quick disconnect coupling on the cylinder head coolant vent line could break at the cylinder head. This would lead to loss of coolant fr… |
| B611018 | Service bulletin | Oct 1, 2018 | THE DISPLAY GOES BLACK, THE ENGINE CAN BE SWITCHED OFF ONLY VIA THE EMERGENCY-OFF.. * On board computer and navigation system goes black or… |
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 B170218 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 B170218 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 B170218 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 3 model years: 2018 BMW i8, 2017 BMW i8, 2016 BMW i8. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.