BMW bulletin B240223
What it saysBMW AG has issued an Emissions Recall (effective March 17, 2023) on a certain Model Year 2021 - 2023 BMW vehicles that were produced between June 16, 2020, and December 13, 2022. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 1, 2023, received May 1, 2023, about the power train — 2 documents under this number. It names 34 model years (2017–2023). 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 an Emissions Recall (effective March 17, 2023) on a certain Model Year 2021 - 2023 BMW vehicles that were produced between June 16, 2020, and December 13, 2022. Due to a software failure, there is the possibility that the transmission does not go into "sleep mode" if the car is turned off.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B240223 | Service bulletin | Jun 1, 2023 | 10239603 | not found |
| B240223 | Service bulletin | Mar 1, 2023 | 10235178 | 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.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
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Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themAlso filed against model years this site has no page for: 2019 BMW 540D; 2020 BMW 540D; 2021 BMW B7 Alpina.
A 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 31 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,333 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 535 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.
On the 2019 BMW X5, the 19 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 55,000 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 2019 BMW X7. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the message that the starter motor was overheating was displayed and the vehicle failed to start. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the starter motor. The vehicle was repaired.
2019 BMW X7 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA May 12, 2025 · ODI 11660474
While driving on a highway the message power train malfunction appears on screen and engine shut off only allowing me seconds to coast to edge of road it was at night we could have been hit from behind we were able to push it further off the highway I tried restarting it over and over about 10 minutes went by it started we proceeded to…
2023 BMW X7 · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Oct 14, 2024 · ODI 11619682
Starter engine failure. Car failed to start multiple times. Major safety hazard that can cause a short circuit, melt wiring harnesses, and spark an engine bay fire posing an immediate threat to life. Problem was inspected and confirmed by a dealer. Multiple waring lamps and messages appeared. Dealer report stated: STARTER MOTOR FAULTY.
2021 BMW 5 Series · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jul 10, 2026 · ODI 11749530
In depth: 2019 BMW X5 electrical problems →
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 group9 other manufacturer communications filed against these BMW models under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the BMW list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| B063826 | Other | Aug 3, 2026 | Shaft Return |
| 0033350200 | Service campaign | Sep 3, 2025 | The rear right driven half-shaft (aka output shaft/driven shaft) may not have been manufactured correctly during production and may break. I… |
| B240125 | Service campaign | May 28, 2025 | Delivery Stop Transmission Control Unit |
| 0024750100 | Service campaign | Apr 18, 2025 | Due to a manufacturing issue, the torque on the bolts of the transmission Mechatronics was not carried outaccording to the specification. Th… |
| 0024770100 | Service campaign | Jan 15, 2025 | During manufacturing, the dual-mass flywheel has not been sufficiently greased. The insufficient grease may result in acoustic abnormalitie… |
| B110924 | Service campaign | Nov 14, 2024 | Delivery Stop Flywheel |
| B240224 | Service bulletin | Mar 15, 2024 | BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop (effective March 15, 2024) on a small number of Model Year 2024 BMW vehicles that were produced between Ja… |
| 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 B240223 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 B240223 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 B240223 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 34 model years: 2023 BMW 3 Series, 2022 BMW 3 Series, 2021 BMW 3 Series, 2020 BMW 3 Series, 2019 BMW 3 Series, 2022 BMW 4 Series and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.