BMW Electrical System: Software

BMW is recalling about 3,193 vehicles over a problem with the electrical system. Unintentionally closing the windows or sunroof without the key present can increase the risk of injury to occupants inside the vehicle.

Campaign
23V099000
Manufacturer
BMW of North America, LLC
Reported
17 February 2023
Vehicles
3,193
Built between
Not published
Models
8
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
18 April 2023
Repaired
97%
Unrepaired
69

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.

  • 2023 BMW 230I
  • 2023 BMW 840I
  • 2023 BMW Alpina B8
  • 2023 BMW M2
  • 2023 BMW M240I
  • 2023 BMW M8
  • 2023 BMW M850I
  • 2022-2023 BMW Z4

Repair progress

69 of 3,193 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q1 2025.

97% repaired — 3,085 of 3,193 reported

Scrapped or exported
39

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 Americal, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2023 8 Series Coupe (840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8), 8 Series Convertible (840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8), 8 Series Gran Coupe (840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8, Alpine B8 xDrive), 2 Series Coupe (230i, 230i xDrive, M240i xDrive, M2), and 2022-2023 Z4 sDrive30i, Z4 M40i vehicles. When the digital key is removed from the vehicle, the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) software may still allow the power windows and sunroof to be closed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 118, "Power-operated Window Systems."

What could happen

Unintentionally closing the windows or sunroof without the key present can increase the risk of injury to occupants inside the vehicle.

What gets fixed

Dealers will update the software for the Electronic Control Unit (ECU), free of charge. In addition, the digital key function via cellular service and Wi-Fi capability will be deactivated until the vehicle is updated with new software. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 11, 2023.

Parts involved

  • Digital Key ECU Software CodingN/A - software issueDigital Key Electronic Control Unit (ECU) Software Coding

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 NHTSA17 February 2023
  2. Owners notified18 April 2023
  3. Latest repair reportQ1 2025 — 97% 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 17 February 2023.

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
Safety standard
FMVSS 118
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.nhtsa.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