BMW over-the-air update ReleaseNotes_2511_US_BMW
What it saysThis communication contains the Release Notes for the BMW 2025-11 Remote Software Upgrade. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
BMW filed this with NHTSA as an over-the-air update dated Dec 2, 2025, received Dec 20, 2025, about the electrical system. It names 1 model year (2026). An over-the-air update is not a safety recall — there is no NHTSA campaign number and no federal requirement — but it is usually work the manufacturer pays for on the vehicles it names; the dealer checks the VIN against the manufacturer’s list.
Get the next BMW 3 Series bulletin by email Weekly, only when something new is filed. Nothing else; one-click unsubscribe.
What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThis communication contains the Release Notes for the BMW 2025-11 Remote Software Upgrade.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ReleaseNotes_2511_US_BMW | Over-the-air update | Dec 2, 2025 | 11026705 | PDF, 378 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.
Email me new BMW bulletins for the 3 Series
A weekly email, sent only in a week when BMW files something new with NHTSA for the model you pick — service bulletins, campaigns, warranty extensions, over-the-air notices, every model year. Nothing else is sent; one-click unsubscribe in every message. Separate from recall alerts.
What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA since 2015.
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 group48 other manufacturer communications filed against the BMW 3 Series 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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… |
| 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… |
| B652025 | Service bulletin | May 5, 2026 | After replacing the Multifunctional Display (MFD), the Central Information Display (CID) is black. The backlight of the CID is illuminated… |
| ReleaseNotes_2603_US_BMW | Over-the-air update | Apr 13, 2026 | This communication contains the Release Notes for the BMW 2026-03 Remote Software Upgrade. |
| B650826 | Service bulletin | Mar 16, 2026 | After the software update to version …25-07-5XX, existing activation points for the “Automate My Habits”function no longer work. |
| B062026 | Other | Feb 23, 2026 | KLE Control Unit Return |
| B652725 | Service bulletin | Feb 11, 2026 | RSU availability. The vehicle may experience various operation faults with the infotainment system such as: Resets of the head unit Delayed… |
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 ReleaseNotes_2511_US_BMW a recall?
No. A over-the-air update 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 ReleaseNotes_2511_US_BMW repair free?
A over-the-air update is usually paid by the manufacturer on the vehicles it names, within the terms and time limit the document sets; the dealer checks the VIN against the manufacturer’s list.
Which vehicles does ReleaseNotes_2511_US_BMW cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2026 BMW 3 Series. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.