BMW bulletin B650720
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 1, 2020, received Apr 20, 2020, about the electrical system. It names 9 model years (2016–2020). 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.
What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationVEHICLE SOUND GENERATOR IS DIFFERENT AND LOUDER AFTER PROGRAMMING: Vehicles sound is different and louder after programming to an Integration level (I-level) between I001-1911-500 and I001-19-11-556. Software in the Vehicle Sound Generator (VSG).
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B650720 | Service bulletin | Apr 1, 2020 | 10174030 | not yet checked |
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.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is BMW B650720 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 B650720 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.
Which vehicles does B650720 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 9 model years: 2020 BMW i3, 2019 BMW i3, 2018 BMW i3, 2017 BMW i3, 2016 BMW i3, 2019 BMW i8 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.