BMW Power Train: Driveshaft

BMW is recalling about 28 vehicles over a problem with the power train. A broken output shaft can lead to a loss of drive power or a rollaway condition in a parked vehicle (if the parking brake is not engaged), increasing the risk of a crash.

Campaign
21V046000
Manufacturer
BMW of North America, LLC
Reported
3 February 2021
Vehicles
28
Built between
Not published
Models
3
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
24 March 2021
Repaired
100%
Unrepaired
0

Does this affect my vehicle?

The manufacturer did not publish a build-date range for this recall, so the model and year list below is the only way to tell whether your vehicle is covered.

  • 2020-2021 BMW 530I
  • 2020-2021 BMW 540I
  • 2021 BMW 740LI

Repair progress

The manufacturer reports every reachable vehicle in this recall has been repaired, as of Q4 2022.

100% repaired — 28 of 28 reported

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 2020-2021 530i xDrive, 540i xDrive and 2021 740Li xDrive vehicles. The output shafts (left/right) which transfer power from the driveshaft to the rear wheels may break due to a heat treatment error during supplier production.

What could happen

A broken output shaft can lead to a loss of drive power or a rollaway condition in a parked vehicle (if the parking brake is not engaged), increasing the risk of a crash.

What gets fixed

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the output shaft(s), free of charge. The recall began March 24, 2021.

Parts involved

  • Output Shaft5 Series – Left (8664049), 7 Series – Right (8639474)Output Shaft

Part numbers are as filed by the manufacturer and are listed for reference. Your dealer will confirm the correct part for your vehicle.

Timeline

  1. Recall reported to NHTSA3 February 2021
  2. Owners notified24 March 2021
  3. Latest repair reportQ4 2022 — 100% 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 3 February 2021.

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