BMW bulletin B611018
What it saysTHE DISPLAY GOES BLACK, THE ENGINE CAN BE SWITCHED OFF ONLY VIA THE EMERGENCY-OFF.. * On board computer and navigation system goes black or resets. * The engine can only be switched off by pressing the START/STOP button… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 1, 2018, received Oct 9, 2018, about the engine — 2 documents under this number. It names 17 model years (2016–2019). 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 DISPLAY GOES BLACK, THE ENGINE CAN BE SWITCHED OFF ONLY VIA THE EMERGENCY-OFF.. * On board computer and navigation system goes black or resets. * The engine can only be switched off by pressing the START/STOP button three times (Emergency STOP) * Various Check Control messages are displayed. * At a minimum the following fault code is present: D91C86 - CAN message, status functional safety (ST_FSSY): Timeout-BDC * Additional fault messages may also be displayed Software error in the central gateway of the Body Domain Controller (BDC) control unit. Note: Parts replacement does NOT provide a solution!
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B611018 | Service bulletin | Oct 1, 2018 | 10149537 | not found |
| B611018 | Service bulletin | Jul 1, 2018 | 10145338 | 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 17 model years this bulletin names have filed 745 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 216 of them name Electrical System, Engine — 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.
In emergency situations when activating the horn, there is an unacceptable delay between when the horn is pressed and when there is actually sound produced. I have taken this up with the dealer and have been informed "that's just how it is." In looking across the internet, I see this is affecting all BMW i3 and some other BMW vehicles.
2017 BMW i3 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jul 1, 2022 · ODI 11471951
Cannot open rear passenger side door from the inside. Front door passenger side door locking system has also failed and had to be replaced. Rear trunk lock has failed and has had to be replaced. The rear passenger side door is a major safety issue. I could not find any notice of recalls having to do with all of these locking problems
2018 BMW X2 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Oct 26, 2026 · ODI 11773610
The contact owns a 2016 BMW X6. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact attempted to use the turn signal while making a right turn however, the system failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the Instrument panel failed and needed to be replaced.
2016 BMW X6 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Feb 27, 2023 · ODI 11509276
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 engine
Source: same model, same component group66 other manufacturer communications filed against these BMW models under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the BMW list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0011320800 | Service campaign | Oct 21, 2026 | The cylinder head cover was not installed correctly at the assembly plant. |
| 0012870600 | Service campaign | Oct 10, 2026 | Due to an implementation error in various OBD diagnostics in the vehicle's control units, in very rare cases itmay happen that stored fault… |
| 1171901000 | Warranty extension | Sep 22, 2026 | The Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Cooler (with EGR Valve) and the Auxiliary Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Cooler limited warranty for de… |
| B121126 | Service bulletin | Sep 9, 2026 | Potential customer complaints with no fault codes stored / No MIL displayed. 1. “Rough idle after idling for a longer period of time” 2. “Ve… |
| 0011460700 | Emissions | Aug 26, 2026 | The return springs on the exhaust camshaft followers (switchable rocker arm) may break. |
| B064426 | Other | Aug 22, 2026 | Air Flap Return |
| B130126 | Service campaign | Aug 14, 2026 | Delivery Stop - Exhaust System Gasket |
| 0018030200 | Service campaign | Aug 14, 2026 | An exhaust gas sealing ring between thelower catalytic converter and upper catalyticconverter may be missing (1). |
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 B611018 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 B611018 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 B611018 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 17 model years: 2018 BMW X1, 2017 BMW X1, 2016 BMW X1, 2018 BMW X2, 2018 BMW X5, 2017 BMW X5 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.