BMW Power Train: Driveshaft

BMW is recalling about 956 vehicles over a problem with the power train. Due to the improper weld, the driveshaft may fracture and fail, causing loss of drive to the rear wheels and a loss of propulsion.

Campaign
16V540000
Manufacturer
BMW of North America, LLC
Reported
19 July 2016
Vehicles
956
Built between
Sep 2014 – Dec 2014
Models
2
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
9 September 2016
Repaired
91%
Unrepaired
45

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between September 2014 and December 2014. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 2015 BMW M5Built September 2014 to December 2014
  • 2015 BMW M6Built September 2014 to December 2014

Repair progress

45 of 956 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q4 2017.

91% repaired — 870 of 956 reported

Owners not reachable
24
Scrapped or exported
17

Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.

What the defect is

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2015 BMW M5 sedans manufactured September 4, 2014, through December 4, 2014, 2015 M6 coupes manufactured September 3, 2014, through December 3, 2014, 2015 M6 convertibles manufactured September 8, 2014, through December 4, 2014, and 2015 M6 Gran Coupe vehicles manufactured September3, 2014, through December 4, 2014. The affected vehicles have a driveshaft that may have been inadequately welded during manufacturing.

What could happen

Due to the improper weld, the driveshaft may fracture and fail, causing loss of drive to the rear wheels and a loss of propulsion. Additionally, if the car is turned off and exited without the parking brake applied, the car may roll. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.

What gets fixed

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the driveshaft, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during September 2016.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtSeptember 2014 to December 2014
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA19 July 2016
  3. Owners notified9 September 2016
  4. Latest repair reportQ4 2017 — 91% repaired

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 19 July 2016.

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 may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Official source

Recalling manufacturer
BMW of North America, LLC
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

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.

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