BMW bulletin B610220
What it saysKNOCKING NOISE FROM WASHER FLUID RESERVOIR: When driving over uneven pavement or cobblestones a knocking noise is present from the passenger side front area (A pillar). NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 1, 2023, received Apr 20, 2020, about the visibility/wiper — 2 documents under this number. It names 11 model years (2018–2023). 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 communicationKNOCKING NOISE FROM WASHER FLUID RESERVOIR: When driving over uneven pavement or cobblestones a knocking noise is present from the passenger side front area (A pillar). Once the vehicle is driven on a flat even surface; the noise is no longer present. CAUSE Washer fluid reservoir movement caused by mounting bracket clearance.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B610220 | Service bulletin | Aug 1, 2023 | 10242699 | not found |
| B610220 | Service bulletin | Apr 1, 2020 | 10174017 | 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.
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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 11 model years this bulletin names have filed 612 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 77 of them name Structure, Visibility/Wiper — 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.
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
The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the sunroof fractured with some pieces of glass detaching from the sunroof assembly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.
2021 BMW X3 · Visibility/Wiper · filed with NHTSA Apr 25, 2022 · ODI 11462110
I am writing to report a potential safety problem with my 2018 BMW X3, VIN: (provide VIN here if available), that was purchased in May 2018 and has covered 36,000 miles since then. The vehicle has always been garaged and well-maintained. A few weeks ago, I experienced a critical malfunction with the vehicle's moonroof.
2018 BMW X3 · Structure · filed with NHTSA May 19, 2023 · ODI 11522928
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 visibility/wiper
Source: same model, same component group6 other manufacturer communications filed against these BMW models under the same component group (visibility/wiper), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| B511924 | Service bulletin | Jan 22, 2026 | There is a matte “veil” or milky stain on theexterior mirror glass. Passenger side mirror shown; situation canoccur on either or both exteri… |
| B660925 | Service bulletin | Jul 14, 2025 | When the rear-view camera display is activated, moving objects appear to be juddering in the image. |
| B610925 | Service bulletin | Jun 6, 2025 | Windshield wiping quality has decreased or the wiper arm is contacting the hood. |
| B640422 | Service bulletin | Feb 16, 2024 | An interference noise (groaning noise) can be heard from within the heating and air-conditioning unit in thecenter of the instrument panel.… |
| B540421 | Service bulletin | Oct 18, 2023 | The front sunroof glass seal has shrunk, creating a gap which can cause wind noise or excess water entry. |
| B612315 | Service bulletin | Nov 1, 2020 | "The Low Washer Fluid Warning Light is illuminated when the Washer Fluid Tank is Full. INFORMATION The use of a ""non-approved"" washer flui… |
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 B610220 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 B610220 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 B610220 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 11 model years: 2023 BMW X3, 2022 BMW X3, 2021 BMW X3, 2020 BMW X3, 2019 BMW X3, 2018 BMW X3 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.