BMW bulletin B640422
What it saysAn interference noise (groaning noise) can be heard from within the heating and air-conditioning unit in thecenter of the instrument panel. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Feb 16, 2024, received Oct 31, 2022, about the visibility/wiper — 2 documents under this number. It names 35 model years (2017–2023). 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 communicationAn interference noise (groaning noise) can be heard from within the heating and air-conditioning unit in thecenter of the instrument panel. The groaning noise always occurs when either a ventilation flap, air stratification flap or the recirculated airflap moves to a different position. Due to the complex design of the heating and air-conditioning unit, the kinematics causing it (top or bottom,left or right) may not be able to be precisely located. Depending on the vehicle model, the number of servomotors (and the associated kinematics unit) varies. Various models use either 2 or 3 servomotors.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B640422 | Service bulletin | Feb 16, 2024 | 10250374 | PDF, 3,761 KB |
| B640422 | Service bulletin | Sep 1, 2022 | 10225121 | not found |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 83 19 2 240 251 | Unisilkon TK M1011 | — | eBay Motors → |
| 83 19 2 446 563 | BMW Group R-1234YF - (10lb / 160oz) Sublet top-up to 7 oz | — | eBay Motors → |
Labour operations and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 00 58 500 | Diagnosis Worktime Flat Rate (See below) | 2 FRU |
| 00 72 536 | Removing and installing (incl. greasing) kinematics for air flap control (instrument… | 3 FRU |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (6 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.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
Find the defroster/defogger/hvac system for the 2023 2 Series →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themAlso filed against model years this site has no page for: 2023 BMW 240I; 2020 BMW 330E; 2023 BMW M4 GT4.
A 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 32 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,060 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 300 of them name Electrical System, 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 Electrical System reported it at a median of 48,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Without warning, the dashboard lights and indicators go dark. The vehicle can be stationary or in motion when it happens. I have contacted the dealer, fields Bmw, twice. The first time the service department replaced the battery on my remote key control, the second time service told me it was a known problem at Bmw and they were working…
2019 BMW X3 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jan 20, 2020 · ODI 11300465
While I was driving down the highway, sunroof has exploded without any apparent reason. I really didn’t realize what had happened at first, all I heard was a loud bang which could’ve lead to distraction and cause an accident. Luckily it wasn’t the case for me. Although, broken pieces of the sunroof has came off and flown to roadway.
2021 BMW 3 Series · Visibility/Wiper · filed with NHTSA Feb 25, 2023 · ODI 11509033
The engine starter failed on my 2020 BMW Z4 M40i. The vehicle experienced starting failures and the repair shop diagnosed a faulty/shorted engine starter assembly. The symptoms and component failure match the exact defect description of active safety recalls NHTSA 24V-576 and 25V-636 (Starter Motor Fire Risk due to electrical short…
2020 BMW Z4 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jul 21, 2026 · ODI 11751896
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 group15 other manufacturer communications filed against these BMW models under the same component group (visibility/wiper), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the BMW list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| B064026 | Other | Jul 17, 2026 | Mirror Glass Return |
| B062926 | Other | Apr 27, 2026 | Window Border Cover Return |
| B610526 | Service bulletin | Mar 20, 2026 | Customers might report that washer fluid is leaking from the lower reservoir area, especially around thewasher fluid pumps. |
| 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. |
| B063225 | Other | May 21, 2025 | Inspection and Return - Linkage for Wiper System |
| B630222 | Service bulletin | Apr 25, 2025 | Excessive condensation in one or both headlights. |
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 B640422 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 B640422 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 B640422 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 35 model years: 2023 BMW 2 Series, 2022 BMW 2 Series, 2023 BMW 3 Series, 2022 BMW 3 Series, 2021 BMW 3 Series, 2020 BMW 3 Series and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.