BMW bulletin B320223
What it saysSITUATION Unusual noises occur only when operating the steering column in the axial direction. 1. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jan 4, 2024, received Sep 25, 2023, about the steering — 2 documents under this number. It names 69 model years (2016–2024). 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 communicationSITUATION Unusual noises occur only when operating the steering column in the axial direction. 1. A one-time thump sound at the start of movement Shortly after the steering column starts moving, retracting, or extending, a one-time thump noise is heard. See attached video V32 03 23 2. Humming noise while steering column extends in the axial direction. The sound is only heard when the steering column is extended, not when the steering column is retracted. When the steering column starts to move in the extended direction, the humming noise can be heard. See attached video V32 04 23
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B320223 | Service bulletin | Jan 4, 2024 | 10249017 | PDF, 1,089 KB |
| B320223 | Service bulletin | Aug 1, 2023 | 10242691 | not found |
What the document itself lists
Labour operations and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 00 58 500 | Diagnosis Worktime Flat Rate | 2 FRU |
| 32 99 000 | Work time to rework the grease to ensure that it is evenly distribution in the… | 2 FRU |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (5 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 10 more on this site: 2023 BMW X6, 2022 BMW X6, 2021 BMW X6, 2020 BMW X6, 2024 BMW X7, 2023 BMW X7, 2022 BMW X7, 2021 BMW X7, 2020 BMW X7, 2019 BMW X7.
Also filed against model years this site has no page for: 2019 BMW 540D; 2020 BMW 540D; 2022 BMW 540D; 2023 BMW 540D; 2020 BMW 550E; 2021 BMW 550E; 2020 BMW 640I; 2016 BMW 740E; 2019 BMW 750GS; 2016 BMW 750LXI; 2017 BMW 750LXI; 2019 BMW 850GS; 2018 BMW B7 Alpina; 2019 BMW B7 Alpina; 2020 BMW B7 Alpina; 2021 BMW B7 Alpina; 2021 BMW M760LI; 2022 BMW M760LI; 2019 BMW M850XI.
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 50 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,703 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 35 of them name Steering — 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.
The contact owns a 2016 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the driving stabilization warning message would appear on the instrument panel. The contact also stated that upon start off his vehicle, the power steering assist failed to operate as the power steering warning message appeared on the instrument…
2016 BMW X5 · Steering · filed with NHTSA Jun 28, 2022 · ODI 11471405
My relatively brand new BMW X5 with only 7,500 miles was parked in an enclosed parking garage with valet service. The car only had its warranty service about 7 weeks ago and was in fine condition. There were no issues with the suspension or steering. There was no accident and the car has never gone over a hard bump or pothole.
2022 BMW X5 · Steering · filed with NHTSA Jan 2, 2024 · ODI 11563179
On August 19, 2026, my 2022 BMW X7 xDrive40i experienced multiple safety\-related warnings at approximately 50,411–50,427 miles\. The vehicle first displayed “Increased steering effort” and instructed me to drive carefully to a service center\. It then displayed a red power\-supply warning stating: “Stop carefully\.
2022 BMW X7 · Steering · filed with NHTSA Aug 20, 2026 · ODI 11758130
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 group12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| B320526 | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | “Cracking” noise might be heard when turning the steering wheel from lock to lock. See attached video V3202 26 EPS noise. |
| B320326 | Service bulletin | Apr 23, 2026 | “Groaning” noise from the EPS when the steering wheel is at the end stops. |
| B310426 | Service bulletin | Apr 23, 2026 | SITUATION When turning the steering wheel fully to the steering end stops, a ”groaning” noise can be perceived at the respective steering st… |
| B320123 | Service bulletin | Apr 6, 2026 | When turning the steering wheel while stationary or when driving on uneven roads; cracking, creaking, or knocking noises may be heard. |
| B320825 | Service bulletin | Sep 3, 2025 | When the steering column is adjusted inwards towards the instrument cluster, the noise may occur near thelimit position. |
| 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 |
| B320125 | Service bulletin | Jan 10, 2025 | Rumbling, groaning type noises from the EPS when the steering wheel is at the end stops. |
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 B320223 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 B320223 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 B320223 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 69 model years: 2023 BMW 5 Series, 2022 BMW 5 Series, 2021 BMW 5 Series, 2020 BMW 5 Series, 2019 BMW 5 Series, 2018 BMW 5 Series and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.