BMW bulletin B612023
What it says?The customer states there is a Drivetrain Malfunction message displayed in the instrument cluster, and in some cases the vehicle will not go into drive readiness. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 1, 2023, received Sep 25, 2023, about the electrical system. It names 3 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 communication?The customer states there is a Drivetrain Malfunction message displayed in the instrument cluster, and in some cases the vehicle will not go into drive readiness.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B612023 | Service bulletin | Aug 1, 2023 | 10242700 | 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 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 63 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 38 of them name Electrical System, Power Train — 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 only way I could explain it was as if my brakes were failing. After joining the bmw i4 group on Facebook and having my kids record while driving. I was able to capture the issue. The vehicle drive train will malfunction causing the vehicle to move while not in motion when at a stop light. The vehicle will accelerate on its on.
2023 BMW i4 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Apr 23, 2025 · ODI 11656435
We were driving the vehicle on a vacation, and am error came on that the gear was malfunction and parking will disable vehicle. At this fine, we kept trying to clear the message to be able to view navigation, and error message kept coming back making it impossible to drive. We then parked the vehicle and had vehicle towed.
2023 BMW 4 Series · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Sep 13, 2025 · ODI 11687079
We had a drivetrain malfunction losing all power to car as we were driving. The car lost all control and drove less than 20 feet before coming to a complete stop on the middle of the road. We were not notified about any recalls on the car and just saw there was one on your site.
2023 BMW i4 · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Jul 25, 2025 · ODI 11676127
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 group56 other manufacturer communications filed against these BMW models 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| B610625 | Service bulletin | Aug 31, 2026 | Check Control message: "You can continue driving. Drivetrain” (00029) is displayed. The following fault code is stored in the CCU fault memo… |
| 0064450200 | Service campaign | Aug 12, 2026 | A faulty electric auxiliary heater may have been installed in the certain vehicles. This could result in thefailure of the electric auxiliar… |
| 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… |
| B610626 | Service bulletin | Jun 5, 2026 | Charging sessions cannot be started or they are interrupted while using a Level 2 AC high-power charging station, or with a Level 3 DC charg… |
| 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… |
| B610324 | Service bulletin | Apr 9, 2026 | Gen 5 BEV/PHEV vehicles may set the Combined Charging Unit (CCU) in programming abort due to no communication to the HV charge socket electr… |
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 B612023 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 B612023 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 B612023 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 3 model years: 2023 BMW 4 Series, 2023 BMW i4, 2022 BMW i4. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.