BMW bulletin B320123
What it saysWhen turning the steering wheel while stationary or when driving on uneven roads; cracking, creaking, or knocking noises may be heard. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 6, 2026, received May 1, 2023, about the steering — 3 documents under this number. It names 44 model years (2019–2024). 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 communicationWhen turning the steering wheel while stationary or when driving on uneven roads; cracking, creaking, or knocking noises may be heard.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B320123 | Service bulletin | Apr 6, 2026 | 11031574 | PDF, 297 KB |
| B320123 | Service bulletin | Aug 8, 2025 | 11021817 | PDF, 359 KB |
| B320123 | Service bulletin | Mar 1, 2023 | 10235180 | not found |
What the document itself lists
Labour operation and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 61 00 006 | Carrying out vehicle diagnosis, ABL (Work time), verifying that a TKPS | 1 FRU |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (4 pages), read Sep 30, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches BMW’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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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 themand 2 more on this site: 2023 BMW i4, 2022 BMW i4.
Also filed against model years this site has no page for: 2021 BMW B7 Alpina; 2023 BMW M4 GT4.
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 42 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,373 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 47 of them name Steering, Suspension — 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 15 owners who gave an odometer reading for Steering reported it at a median of 1,200 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
I recently had an accident with the car. I was driving in a gated subdivision under very low speed, when I put the shifter in reverse in order to back up the car, the car failed to go into reverse and gave no warning, I assumed that the car was in reserve mode and tried to accelerate , the car lurched forward instead, hit some rocks and…
2022 BMW i4 · Steering · filed with NHTSA Nov 29, 2023 · ODI 11557412
My vehicle was diagnosed in August of 2026 with a suspension thrust arm failure showing leaking hydraulic fluid. The repair cost was quoted at $2,200.00. I found on the internet a BMW of north america service bulletin that called out these thrust arms can fail due to "Various external influences can cause premature aging of the tension…
2022 BMW X7 · Suspension · filed with NHTSA Sep 3, 2026 · ODI 11761805
X7 models from year 2020 -2022 have a particular issue at stake which is a manufacture default as it's been reported in many cases in X7 models. I'd like have this Transportation safety to please look into this issue a safety recall as there is a shuddering issue in most x7's when turning right or left at a lower speed which slips the…
2020 BMW X7 · Suspension · filed with NHTSA Aug 5, 2025 · ODI 11678527
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 steering
Source: same model, same component group13 other manufacturer communications filed against these BMW models under the same component group (steering), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the BMW list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0012540600 | Service campaign | Dec 1, 2025 | RSU availability. BMW AG is conducting a Service Action on certain Model Year 2025 - 2026 BMW vehicles that were produced between March 17… |
| B320825 | Service bulletin | Sep 3, 2025 | When the steering column is adjusted inwards towards the instrument cluster, the noise may occur near thelimit position. |
| B320425 | Service bulletin | May 2, 2025 | After prolonged straight-ahead driving (e.g. highway driving), there may be a temporary, slightly noticeable increase in steering forces whe… |
| 0032680300 | Service campaign | May 2, 2025 | Parts of the steering shaft universal joint may have been joined together without having beengreased. As a result, there can be audible sque… |
| B320225 | Service campaign | Feb 7, 2025 | DELIVERY STOP: STEERING SHAFT UNIVERSAL JOINT |
| B310223 | Service bulletin | Oct 31, 2024 | ?Disturbing noises (thump/pop) when reversing slowly near the steering wheel limit position; for example, when leaving a parking space. |
| B360121 | Service bulletin | May 1, 2024 | At low outside temperatures (below 40 degrees F) and slow driving speeds (i.e. when parking, maneuvering)with a large steering angle, the fr… |
| B320223 | Service bulletin | Jan 4, 2024 | SITUATION Unusual noises occur only when operating the steering column in the axial direction. 1. A one-time thump sound at the start of m… |
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 B320123 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 B320123 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 B320123 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 44 model years: 2024 BMW 2 Series, 2023 BMW 2 Series, 2024 BMW 3 Series, 2023 BMW 3 Series, 2022 BMW 3 Series, 2021 BMW 3 Series and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.