BMW bulletin B511219
What it saysKIDNEY GRILL ACTIVE AIR FLAP FAULTS: A check control message or MIL (Malfunction Indicator Lamp) may be illuminated, with one or more of the following faults stored: 138207- Active cooling damper control (AKKS), top… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jul 29, 2024, received May 20, 2019, about the structure — 6 documents under this number. It names 26 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 communicationKIDNEY GRILL ACTIVE AIR FLAP FAULTS: A check control message or MIL (Malfunction Indicator Lamp) may be illuminated, with one or more of the following faults stored: 138207- Active cooling damper control (AKKS), top: blockage at warm ambient temperature 21B043- Active cooling damper control (AKKS), top: blockage at all ambient temperatures 138222- Active cooling damper control (AKKS), above: positional deviation error detected at warm ambient temperature 138209- Active cooling damper control (AKKS), top: Control deviation at all ambient temperatures 13822B- Active cooling damper control (AKKS), top: Control deviation at all ambient temperatures 21B042- Active cooling damper control (AKKS), below: blockage at all ambient temperatures 138206- Active cooling damper control (AKKS), bottom, blockage at warm ambient temperature 138225-Active air-flap control, bottom: top limit position not detected 138224-Active air-flap control, bottom: bottom limit position not detected Multiple potential issues may be the cause, including: 1. Faulty active air flap(s) (Upper and/or lower) 2. Software error in the DME 3. Debris or blockages from outside influence (non-warranty) 4. Information error memory that does not require a repair 5. For G20 only- Detached lower active air flaps
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B511219 | Service bulletin | Jul 29, 2024 | 11005449 | PDF, 318 KB |
| B511219 | Service bulletin | Sep 1, 2020 | 10181225 | not found |
| B511219 | Service bulletin | Aug 1, 2020 | 10179815 | not found |
| B511219 | Service bulletin | Jun 1, 2019 | 10163041 | not found |
| B511219 | Service bulletin | Apr 1, 2019 | 10160340 | not found |
| B511219 | Service bulletin | Apr 1, 2019 | 10160257 | not found |
What the document itself lists
Labour operation and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 51 99 000 | Work time to reinstall flaps, if disconnected | 2 FRU |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (8 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.
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.
Find the software for the 2024 3 Series →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themAlso filed against model years this site has no page for: 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 25 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,063 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 614 of them name Engine, Electrical System, Structure — 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
The air condition is inadequate for temperatures above 80°. Due to the inadequacy of the coldness and the speed at which the fan blows, all passengers in a fully loaded vehicle complain of excessive heat temperatures Safety is an issue if left in the vehicle for a long period of time without proper temperatures being reached for all in…
2024 BMW X7 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 22, 2024 · ODI 11610316
I am started to lease this car in August 2024. After 2 weeks, the car just halted, unable to move. Luckily this happened in my driveway. It took BMW more than 1 month to repair this. They had to change the combined charging unit with a different part number (upgraded part). At that time the car had roughly 200 miles on the odometer.
2024 BMW X5 · Engine · filed with NHTSA Apr 23, 2024 · ODI 11584824
In depth: 2020 BMW M engine problems → · 2019 BMW X5 engine problems → · 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 structure
Source: same model, same component group51 other manufacturer communications filed against these BMW models under the same component group (structure), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the BMW list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0064520200 | Service campaign | Sep 30, 2026 | A small number of vehicles were produced without the evaporator condensate drain hose being installed. This is not immediately apparent to t… |
| B511125 | Service bulletin | Sep 21, 2026 | When pulling on the hood (highlighted inorange in the top photo) release lever… |
| 0061860900 | Service campaign | Sep 9, 2026 | Although the rear bumper is not equipped with a rear fog light, the Park Distance Control (PDC) wiringharness includes an unused fog light c… |
| 5135900100 | Warranty extension | Sep 3, 2026 | The coverage period for qualifying lower rear side panel water drain repair that addresses the issues described in the Service Information B… |
| B010226DCS | Other | Aug 28, 2026 | BMW Notice of the Court’s Final Approval for Shark-Fin Antenna Settlement (X3, X4, X5, X6, X7) |
| B010226 | Service bulletin | Aug 25, 2026 | Rear Roof Antenna Shark Fin Cover Sealing Issue |
| B064226 | Other | Aug 19, 2026 | Bonnet Release Holder |
| 0051480600 | Service campaign | Jul 10, 2026 | In the affected vehicles, an incorrect screwlocking device (circled) may have been usedfor the mounting bolts of the door latch locks. |
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 B511219 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 B511219 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 B511219 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 26 model years: 2024 BMW 3 Series, 2021 BMW 3 Series, 2020 BMW 3 Series, 2019 BMW 3 Series, 2024 BMW 8 Series, 2021 BMW 8 Series and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.