BMW Power Train: Differential Unit

BMW is recalling about 350 vehicles over a problem with the power train. With prolonged driving, these bolts could become loose, cause damage to the engine and transmission housings.

Campaign
03V475000
Manufacturer
BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE
Reported
14 November 2003
Vehicles
350
Built between
Sep 2003 – Oct 2003
Models
1
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
10 November 2003
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between September 2003 and October 2003. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 2004 BMW X5Built September 2003 to October 2003

What the defect is

On certain sport utility vehicles, the bolts that hold the front differential, the right output shaft housing flange at the engine, and the right-hand engine support may be insufficiently tightened.

What could happen

With prolonged driving, these bolts could become loose, cause damage to the engine and transmission housings. The right output shaft could become disconnected, affecting the ability to control the vehicle, which could result in a crash.

What gets fixed

DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND RETIGHTEN THE DRIVETRAIN FASTENERS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN NOVEMBER 28, 2003.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtSeptember 2003 to October 2003
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA14 November 2003
  3. Owners notified10 November 2003

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 14 November 2003.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Manufacturer contact

Owners should contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.

Official source

Recalling manufacturer
BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE
Recall initiated by
MFR

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Additional notes

Customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand