Recall · 21V031000
BMW of North America recalled 3 models over steering
21
Vehicles covered
3
Models
3
Model years
January 29, 2021
Filed with NHTSA
STEERING:COLUMN
- The defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5M, X5 xDrive45e, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 M50i vehicles. The steering column shaft's universal joint connection may not have been tightened to specifications, and can become loose.
- What it can cause
- A loose steering column shaft universal joint connection can affect vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- What the dealer does
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, depending upon the inspection, either the bolt will be replaced and tightened to specifications, or the steering column shaft, universal joint, and bolt will be replaced and tightened to specifications, free of charge. The recall began March 30, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
- NHTSA's note
- Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
The repair is free, whatever the age or mileage of the vehicle, and whether or not you are the original owner.
Which vehicles
A recall reaches a range of VINs inside these model years, not every car built in them. Yours may not be covered even if it is listed here, and the only way to find out is NHTSA's own VIN lookup.
How this campaign compares
At 21 vehicles this is a small campaign: 87% of the 14,626 vehicle recalls with a published size filed from 1995 up to this one are as large or larger. The middle campaign among them covers 490. It covers one model year, 2021, and the defect was reported to NHTSA in 2021, at or before the oldest model year it covers — as current as a recall gets.
BMW vehicles have been recalled over the steering 18 times before this, most recently in July 2020 as 20V434000. That is not evidence the earlier repair failed.
This site holds the complaint record for all 3 model years the campaign names. Their owners have filed 169 complaints with NHTSA, 3 of them before this campaign was filed. 9 of those name the steering, the system this recall is about — a count of complaints, not of this defect.
The vehicles on this campaign carry 13 other recalls published here, the newest being: 22V670000 (seats), 22V267000 (visibility), 21V156000 (seats), 21V096000 (back over prevention).
Check your own car
A VIN check is the only answer for a specific vehicle, and it also shows every other open recall on it, which is usually the reason it is worth doing rather than reading one campaign.
Filed by BMW of North America, LLC with NHTSA on January 29, 2021 as campaign 21V031000. Every word of the defect, consequence and remedy above is NHTSA's published record of that filing, not a summary of it.
Compiled and maintained by guarledes. Data last checked 2021-01-29.
Independent developer and analyst