BMW bulletin B520120
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 27, 2026, received Feb 18, 2020, about the seats — 2 documents under this number. It names 10 model years (2018–2024). 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.
What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationGROANING NOISE FROM TRIM APERTURE ON THE FRONT SEAT: When getting in or out of the vehicle a groaning noise can be heard from the opening (aperture) in the seat backrest. The noise may be heard from one or both of the front seats. The trim aperture in the front seat is insufficiently lubricated. The front and rear halves of the trim can contact each other causing friction noise.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B520120 | Service bulletin | Jun 27, 2026 | 11034458 | not yet checked |
| B520120 | Service bulletin | Jan 1, 2020 | 10171492 | not yet checked |
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 themAlso filed against model years this site has no page for: 2020 BMW M2; 2020 BMW R 1250 GS Adventure.
A vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is BMW B520120 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 B520120 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.
Which vehicles does B520120 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 10 model years: 2024 BMW 2 Series, 2024 BMW X2, 2020 BMW X2, 2019 BMW X2, 2018 BMW X2, 2024 BMW Z4 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.