BMW bulletin B640821
What it saysThe air conditioning cycles from cold to warm air while driving or while at a stand still. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 1, 2023, received Dec 13, 2021, about the visibility/wiper — 2 documents under this number. It names 52 model years (2016–2023). 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 communicationThe air conditioning cycles from cold to warm air while driving or while at a stand still. The vent outlet temperatures vary by 25 degrees Fahrenheit or more (38F to 60F +) without changing any climate control settings. In some cases the air conditioning may have stopped blowing cold air altogether.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B640821 | Service bulletin | Jun 1, 2023 | 10239614 | not found |
| B640821 | Service bulletin | Sep 1, 2021 | 10204659 | 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 themAlso filed against model years this site has no page for: 2019 BMW 540D; 2020 BMW 540D; 2020 BMW 640I; 2018 BMW B7 Alpina; 2019 BMW B7 Alpina; 2020 BMW B7 Alpina; 2021 BMW B7 Alpina; 2018 BMW C 400 X; 2021 BMW F 850 GS Adventure; 2017 BMW F800 R; 2021 BMW M760LI; 2022 BMW M760LI; 2019 BMW M850XI.
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 39 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,252 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 327 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 X5, the 19 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 55,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X7. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the message that the starter motor was overheating was displayed and the vehicle failed to start. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the starter motor. The vehicle was repaired.
2019 BMW X7 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA May 12, 2025 · ODI 11660474
Starter engine failure. Car failed to start multiple times. Major safety hazard that can cause a short circuit, melt wiring harnesses, and spark an engine bay fire posing an immediate threat to life. Problem was inspected and confirmed by a dealer. Multiple waring lamps and messages appeared. Dealer report stated: STARTER MOTOR FAULTY.
2021 BMW 5 Series · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jul 10, 2026 · ODI 11749530
The wipers over shoot hitting the pilar. I have switched my wipers three times in one year; I thought the wipers where of poor quality but everyone in the forums complains that the wipers jump certain sections in the windshield and then overshoot hitting the pilar. It?s incredibly difficult to drive in the rain due to this problem.
2019 BMW X5 · Visibility/Wiper · filed with NHTSA May 16, 2020 · ODI 11324780
In depth: 2019 BMW X5 electrical problems →
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 group11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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… |
| B630224 | Service bulletin | Aug 21, 2024 | After programming the vehicle or completing aBMW RSU (Remote Software Upgrade), theblue accents (arrows) of both headlights arenot functioni… |
| B510923 | Service bulletin | Aug 19, 2024 | Sudden failure of the power window(s). |
| B540319 | Service bulletin | Aug 14, 2024 | GROANING NOISE FROM SUNROOF . A groaning noise is present from the area between the front and rear sunroof glass panels only with the sunroo… |
| B660424 | Service bulletin | Jul 16, 2024 | The washer fluid cleaning system has air remaining in its components, and/or the fluid lines after a previous repair has been performed. The… |
| 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.… |
| B612823 | Service bulletin | Nov 9, 2023 | A thumping sound is heard when the window reaches the closing end stop. |
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 B640821 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 B640821 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 B640821 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 52 model years: 2023 BMW 5 Series, 2022 BMW 5 Series, 2021 BMW 5 Series, 2020 BMW 5 Series, 2019 BMW 5 Series, 2018 BMW 5 Series and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.