BMW bulletin B651523
What it saysAfter programming the head unit (HU-H2), activating the FSC (German word Freischaltcode) Enabling Codes repeatedly fails. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 1, 2023, received Jun 26, 2023, about the electrical system. It names 97 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 communicationAfter programming the head unit (HU-H2), activating the FSC (German word Freischaltcode) Enabling Codes repeatedly fails.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B651523 | Service bulletin | May 1, 2023 | 10238090 | 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.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themand 48 more on this site: 2019 BMW M, 2018 BMW M, 2017 BMW M, 2016 BMW M, 2022 BMW X1, 2021 BMW X1, 2020 BMW X1, 2019 BMW X1, 2018 BMW X1, 2017 BMW X1, 2016 BMW X1, 2022 BMW X2, 2021 BMW X2, 2020 BMW X2, 2019 BMW X2, 2018 BMW X2, 2023 BMW X3, 2022 BMW X3, 2021 BMW X3, 2020 BMW X3, 2019 BMW X3, 2018 BMW X3, 2017 BMW X3, 2016 BMW X3, 2023 BMW X4, 2022 BMW X4, 2021 BMW X4, 2020 BMW X4, 2019 BMW X4, 2018 BMW X4, 2017 BMW X4, 2016 BMW X4, 2023 BMW X5, 2022 BMW X5, 2021 BMW X5, 2020 BMW X5, 2018 BMW X5, 2017 BMW X5, 2016 BMW X5, 2022 BMW X6, 2021 BMW X6, 2020 BMW X6, 2019 BMW X6, 2018 BMW X6, 2017 BMW X6, 2016 BMW X6, 2022 BMW X7, 2021 BMW X7.
Also filed against model years this site has no page for: 2019 BMW 540D; 2020 BMW 540D; 2020 BMW 640I; 2016 BMW B7 Alpina; 2018 BMW B7 Alpina; 2019 BMW B7 Alpina; 2020 BMW B7 Alpina; 2021 BMW M760LI; 2022 BMW M760LI.
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 88 model years this bulletin names have filed 3,137 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 732 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.
2019 BMW 430i xDrive Convertible (F33). The rear side window regulator and motor failed after water got in through the rear window into the window panel and motor. On October 14, 2026 the window first would roll down only slightly and then stop; later the same day it stopped moving entirely and is now stuck fully up — no movement at all…
2019 BMW 4 Series · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Oct 20, 2026 · ODI 11772554
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
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X1. The contact stated that the emergency call error light illuminated the instrument panel. In December of 2024, the contact received notification regarding an extended warranty coverage for the battery to be replaced. The contact was unable to immediately take the vehicle to the dealer due to other reasons.
2019 BMW X1 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Mar 12, 2025 · ODI 11647914
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 group177 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0061610900 | Service campaign | Sep 25, 2026 | The BCP controls several vehicle functions, including the windscreen wipers and air conditioning actuators. Low current flow may cause exces… |
| 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… |
| B651926 | Service bulletin | Jul 15, 2026 | Activation of the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant voice is not possible via the Multifunction Steering Wheel (MFL) button and/or via the… |
| B840226 | Service campaign | Jul 10, 2026 | Once the Telematics Module (TCB2) enters sleep mode, a BMW Data Services trigger for Remote Services… |
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 B651523 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 B651523 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 B651523 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 97 model years: 2022 BMW 2 Series, 2021 BMW 2 Series, 2020 BMW 2 Series, 2019 BMW 2 Series, 2018 BMW 2 Series, 2017 BMW 2 Series and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.