BMW bulletin B520723
What it saysThe front seat heating does not heat up after vehicle departure with the climate control in the automatic mode. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 1, 2023, received May 1, 2023, about the seats — 2 documents under this number. It names 4 model years (2022–2023). 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 communicationThe front seat heating does not heat up after vehicle departure with the climate control in the automatic mode.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B520723 | Service bulletin | Jun 1, 2023 | 10239607 | not found |
| B520723 | Service bulletin | Mar 1, 2023 | 10235189 | not found |
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 themA 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 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 103 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
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 seats
Source: same model, same component group4 other manufacturer communications filed against these BMW models under the same component group (seats), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| B521225 | Service bulletin | Sep 18, 2025 | A clicking noise can be heard from one or both front seat backrests. This noise is heard when leaning against the backrest of the seat or wh… |
| B520825 | Service bulletin | Jun 17, 2025 | The rear seat leg rest can fold down when a heavy load/weight is placed on it. |
| B521723 | Service bulletin | Jan 2, 2024 | Customer states one of the front seats is inoperative. The seat heater and power supply are inoperative .During the vehicle test, the seat m… |
| B520121 | Service bulletin | Aug 1, 2023 | SEAT FAILS TO INITIALIZE DUE TO MISSING END STOP: Front seat will not calibrate/initialize. |
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 B520723 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 B520723 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 B520723 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years: 2023 BMW 7 Series, 2023 BMW X1, 2022 BMW X1, 2023 BMW i7. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.