BMW bulletin B641123
What it saysCheck Engine light is on IHKA has stored fault 80131C “IHKA: 12V voltage sensor plausibility” NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jan 5, 2024, received Feb 1, 2024, about the electrical system. It names 18 model years (2019–2024). 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 communicationCheck Engine light is on IHKA has stored fault 80131C “IHKA: 12V voltage sensor plausibility”
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B641123 | Service bulletin | Jan 5, 2024 | 10249031 | PDF, 147 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.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 18 model years this bulletin names have filed 797 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 199 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.
On the 2020 BMW X5, the 16 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 60,000 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
The air condition is inadequate for temperatures above 80°. Due to the inadequacy of the coldness and the speed at which the fan blows, all passengers in a fully loaded vehicle complain of excessive heat temperatures Safety is an issue if left in the vehicle for a long period of time without proper temperatures being reached for all in…
2024 BMW X7 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 22, 2024 · ODI 11610316
Our vehicle dies while driving down the highway, twice now in less than 30 days. I drivetrain and low-power warning came on, but the car died and wouldn't start. The obvious risk is that we were driving on the highway and barely avoided being in an accident as I tried to steer us off the road. The second time we were at a park.
2023 BMW X7 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jul 24, 2023 · ODI 11534138
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 group85 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… |
| 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… |
| 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… |
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 B641123 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 B641123 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 B641123 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 18 model years: 2024 BMW X5, 2023 BMW X5, 2022 BMW X5, 2021 BMW X5, 2020 BMW X5, 2024 BMW X6 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.