BMW bulletin B514616
What it saysCreaking noise from tailgate lock.. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Feb 3, 2025, received Nov 5, 2018, about the structure — 4 documents under this number. It names 122 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 communicationCREAKING NOISE FROM TAILGATE LOCK.. During opening and closing of the tailgate, a creaking noise can be heard from the tailgate lock. Excess friction caused by dust/dirt entry into the tailgate lock and on the striker.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B514616 | Service bulletin | Feb 3, 2025 | 11014038 | PDF, 189 KB |
| B514616 | Service bulletin | May 1, 2023 | 10238081 | not found |
| B514616 | Service bulletin | Sep 1, 2017 | 10146762 | not found |
| B514616 | Service bulletin | Jan 1, 2017 | 10150972 | not found |
What the document itself lists
Part the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 83 19 2 157 321 | Special Grease RHF 1 (20g) As needed | — | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (3 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.
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.
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 tailgate for the 2024 2 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 themand 70 more on this site: 2017 BMW 7 Series, 2016 BMW 7 Series, 2024 BMW 8 Series, 2022 BMW 8 Series, 2021 BMW 8 Series, 2020 BMW 8 Series, 2019 BMW 8 Series, 2023 BMW M, 2022 BMW M, 2021 BMW M, 2020 BMW M, 2019 BMW M, 2018 BMW M, 2017 BMW M, 2016 BMW M, 2024 BMW X1, 2023 BMW X1, 2022 BMW X1, 2021 BMW X1, 2020 BMW X1, 2019 BMW X1, 2018 BMW X1, 2017 BMW X1, 2016 BMW X1, 2024 BMW X2, 2022 BMW X2, 2021 BMW X2, 2020 BMW X2, 2019 BMW X2, 2018 BMW X2, 2024 BMW X3, 2023 BMW X3, 2022 BMW X3, 2021 BMW X3, 2020 BMW X3, 2019 BMW X3, 2018 BMW X3, 2024 BMW X4, 2023 BMW X4, 2022 BMW X4, 2021 BMW X4, 2020 BMW X4, 2019 BMW X4, 2024 BMW X5, 2023 BMW X5, 2022 BMW X5, 2021 BMW X5, 2020 BMW X5, 2019 BMW X5, 2018 BMW X5, 2017 BMW X5, 2016 BMW X5, 2024 BMW X6, 2022 BMW X6, 2021 BMW X6, 2020 BMW X6, 2019 BMW X6, 2018 BMW X6, 2024 BMW X7, 2023 BMW X7, 2022 BMW X7, 2021 BMW X7, 2020 BMW X7, 2019 BMW X7, 2023 BMW XM, 2023 BMW i4, 2022 BMW i4, 2023 BMW i7, 2023 BMW iX, 2022 BMW iX.
Also filed against model years this site has no page for: 2019 BMW 540D; 2020 BMW 540D; 2020 BMW 640I; 2018 BMW B7 Alpina; 2019 BMW B7 Alpina; 2020 BMW B7 Alpina; 2021 BMW B7 Alpina; 2023 BMW M4 GT4; 2021 BMW M760LI; 2022 BMW M760LI; 2019 BMW M850XI; 2017 BMW R 1200 GS Adventure.
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 110 model years this bulletin names have filed 3,826 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 162 of them name Structure, Latches/Locks/Linkages — 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 X3, the 14 owners who gave an odometer reading for Structure reported it at a median of 5,000 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 2024 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V106000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.
2024 BMW X3 · Latches/Locks/Linkages · filed with NHTSA Apr 30, 2025 · ODI 11657796
The contact owns a 2018 Bmw X1. The contact's VIN was associated with NHTSA campaign number: 19v349000 (structure). The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and stated that the part was not available. A dealer was not contacted.
2018 BMW X1 · Structure · filed with NHTSA Jan 2, 2020 · ODI 11296735
I was driving and had just entered into hwy. I was traveling approx 45-50mph. There were no other vehicles around, when I suddenly began hearing a popping or clicking sound, followed by what sounded like an explosion. I could hear glass shattering above my head, but was protected from injury because the sunroof shade was closed.
2019 BMW X3 · Structure · filed with NHTSA Dec 10, 2019 · ODI 11288182
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 group107 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| B511126 | Service bulletin | Oct 24, 2026 | Various noises can be heard between 50and 75 mph, such as whistling, or a heavyairflow coming from front bumper area. |
| 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… |
| 0051570600 | Service campaign | Sep 24, 2026 | A gap between the rear left door seal and the side frame may allow moisture to enter. This can cause waterto splash onto occupants when the… |
| 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… |
| B640826 | Service bulletin | Aug 28, 2026 | Customers may hear a noise from underneath the vehicle, or feel something rubbing being transmitted intothe body of the vehicle while drivin… |
| B010226DCS | Other | Aug 28, 2026 | BMW Notice of the Court’s Final Approval for Shark-Fin Antenna Settlement (X3, X4, X5, X6, X7) |
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 B514616 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 B514616 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 B514616 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 122 model years: 2024 BMW 2 Series, 2023 BMW 2 Series, 2022 BMW 2 Series, 2021 BMW 2 Series, 2020 BMW 2 Series, 2024 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.