- Vehicles
- 121,909
- Built between
- Nov 2010 – Apr 2013
- Models
- 3
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 18 April 2017
- Repaired
- 66%
- Unrepaired
- 21,072
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between November 2010 and April 2013. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2011-2013 BMW X5Built November 2010 to April 2013
- 2011-2014 BMW X6Built November 2010 to April 2013
- 2011 BMW X6 Activehybrid SACBuilt January 2011 to September 2011
Repair progress
21,072 of 121,909 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q3 2018.
66% repaired — 80,845 of 121,909 reported
- Scrapped or exported
- 19,992
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 2011-2013 X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M and X5 xDrive35d vehicles, 2011-2014 X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6M vehicles, and 2011 x6 ActiveHybrid Vehicles. Water and debris may enter the front driveshaft's universal joint, causing excessive wear and possibly resulting in the joint's failure.
What could happen
If the front universal joint fails, the front wheels would not be driven, affecting vehicle traction. Additionally, continued driving of the vehicle with a broken front universal joint may damage other components. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.
What gets fixed
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driveshaft, free of charge. The recall began on April 18, 2017.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtNovember 2010 to April 2013
- Recall reported to NHTSA2 March 2017
- Owners notified18 April 2017
- Latest repair reportQ3 2018 — 66% 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 2 March 2017.
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.