BMW bulletin B612225
What it saysThe malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) may be triggered by the erroneous fault code: BA0023 - Control unit: internal fault (software group fault) In addition, the BA0008 - CCU, internal coolant temperature sensor: Signal… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Mar 3, 2026, received Jan 23, 2026, about the electrical system — 2 documents under this number. It names 7 model years (2025–2026). 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.
Get the next BMW bulletin for your model by email Weekly, only when something new is filed. Nothing else; one-click unsubscribe.
What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThe malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) may be triggered by the erroneous fault code: BA0023 - Control unit: internal fault (software group fault) In addition, the BA0008 - CCU, internal coolant temperature sensor: Signal implausible faults may be stored in the CCU memory. However, AC charging will still operate as designed, without any related drivability complaints. Affected PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) vehicles with CCU_P1 (7.4 kW and 11 kW) with I-levels from …24-07- 500 to …25-11-5xx.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B612225 | Service bulletin | Mar 3, 2026 | 11030052 | PDF, 148 KB |
| B612225 | Service bulletin | Jan 3, 2026 | 11027772 | PDF, 178 KB |
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.
Email me new BMW bulletins for one of these models
A weekly email, sent only in a week when BMW files something new with NHTSA for the model you pick — service bulletins, campaigns, warranty extensions, over-the-air notices, every model year. Nothing else is sent; one-click unsubscribe in every message. Separate from recall alerts.
What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 7 model years this bulletin names have filed 101 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 20 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 contact owns a 2026 BMW X5. The contact stated that after several days of not driving the vehicle, the messages "Starter Battery Low," "Starter Battery Severely Discharged”, and “You can Still Drive - However Power-Consuming Functions Disabled to Preserve the Battery," were displayed on the BMW App.
2026 BMW X5 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 12, 2026 · ODI 11756521
On November 26, 2025, my 2025 BMW XM experienced complete drivetrain failure while my wife and two children were in a Kansas City parking lot. The vehicle displayed "drivetrain malfunction," would not engage any gear, and was completely inoperable.
2025 BMW XM · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Dec 4, 2025 · ODI 11703059
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 group118 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| B611826 | Service bulletin | Sep 17, 2026 | Due to unfavorable software, the Storage Management Electronics (SME) will not show fault codes that trigger the Malfunction Indicator Lamp… |
| 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… |
| 0061880900 | Service campaign | Aug 27, 2026 | In vehicles equipped with the Roof Function Center “FZD‑21” variant, a quiescent‑current violation mayoccur if the system fails to enter sle… |
| 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… |
| 0012810600 | Service campaign | Jun 11, 2026 | In these vehicles with an S68 engine, an incorrect diagnosis of the Valvetronic (VVT) may occur. Undercertain operating conditions, the soft… |
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 B612225 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 B612225 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 B612225 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 7 model years: 2025 BMW 5 Series, 2025 BMW 7 Series, 2026 BMW M, 2025 BMW M, 2026 BMW X5, 2025 BMW X5 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.