BMW bulletin B521025
What it saysThe electric actuator for the third row (3SR) seat changed design and part number, and is used in productionvehicles as of March 28, 2025. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 29, 2025, received Aug 24, 2025, about the electrical system — 2 documents under this number. It names 2 model years (2024–2025). 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 communicationWhat it applies to, as the document itself states it — the build window in the manufacturer’s own words, read by machine from the PDF NHTSA serves. The build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb; the dealer settles a borderline vehicle by its VIN.
The electric actuator for the third row (3SR) seat changed design and part number, and is used in productionvehicles as of March 28, 2025. There are two such actuators at this seat row, one for the left seating position; and one for the right.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B521025 | Service bulletin | Aug 29, 2025 | 11022864 | PDF, 880 KB |
| B521025 | Service bulletin | Aug 19, 2025 | 11022109 | PDF, 834 KB |
What the document itself lists
Part the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 52 20 9 473 697 | — | — |
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 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 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 91 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 11 of them name Electrical System — 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.
The vehicle is a 2025 BMW X7 M60i purchased in New Mexico on . The car's emergency call system and navigation became disabled on after taking the vehicle to a car wash. Subsequently the car was brought to the BMW dealer for repairs; however, the problem recurred after several days, dashboard now showing a traction control warning light.
2025 BMW X7 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Apr 3, 2025 · ODI 11652615
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
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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group63 other manufacturer communications filed against the BMW X7 under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the BMW list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| B630526 | Service bulletin | Sep 8, 2026 | After programming the vehicle via ISTA/RSUto I-level …26-03-5xx, customer may reportsome of the interior ambient lighting strips(arrows) may… |
| 0034040300 | Service campaign | Aug 20, 2026 | After replacement of the Integrated Braking system (IB)/Power Brake the total distance covered might be lower than when handed over to the w… |
| B652026 | Service bulletin | Jul 23, 2026 | The Central Information Display (CID) side of the Multifunction Display (MFD) may flicker intermittently. Theflickering manifests itself in… |
| B840226 | Service campaign | Jul 10, 2026 | Once the Telematics Module (TCB2) enters sleep mode, a BMW Data Services trigger for Remote Services… |
| B610126 | Service bulletin | Jun 11, 2026 | SITUATION During vehicle start-up the Secure Element (SE) of the BCP may fail causing communication errors. TheCheck Control message “Drive… |
| B651426 | Service bulletin | Jun 4, 2026 | The vehicle may experience various operational issues with Apple CarPlay Projected Modes such as: Dropped connections No automatic reconnect… |
| B652025 | Service bulletin | May 5, 2026 | After replacing the Multifunctional Display (MFD), the Central Information Display (CID) is black. The backlight of the CID is illuminated… |
| B650826 | Service bulletin | Mar 16, 2026 | After the software update to version …25-07-5XX, existing activation points for the “Automate My Habits”function no longer work. |
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 B521025 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 B521025 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 B521025 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2025 BMW X7, 2024 BMW X7. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone. The document itself sets the build window: built before 28 Mar 2025; built after 28 Mar 2025; built before Apr 2025 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.