2023 BMW M550i

Defect. BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2022-2026 840i, 840i xDrive, 2021-2023 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, and 2024-2026 750e xDrive vehicles. The connection between the driveshaft and the rear differential may become damaged, possibly resulting in a loss of power to the rear wheels or a vehicle rollaway.

Risk. An unexpected loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. In addition, a damaged driveshaft can result in a vehicle rollaway if the parking brake is not applied, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy. Dealers will inspect the connection between the driveshaft and rear axle differential, and apply adhesive or replace the driveshaft and rear axle differential, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 2, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 2, 2026.

The car was purchased new in July 2023. On or about [XXX], while the car was parked the front license plate holder separated suddenly and unexpectedly from the front bumper of the car and fell to the ground. Incidental to the failure of the front license plate holder, the separation of the holder caused damage to the front bumper. There was no external force applied to the front license plate holder, and the vehicle was not involved in a collision. Because the car was stationary at the time of the incident, there was no additional damage; the safety of the passengers, other drivers, or pedestrians was not compromised. However, had the car been moving, a sudden and unexpected event of the separation of the front license plate holder would have posed serious safety risks. I contacted the selling dealer, BMW of Sudbury, located in Sudbury, MA to discuss the issue related to the damages resulting from the failure of the front license plate holder. I spoke with Michael K. Walsh, General Sales Manager at BMW of Sudbury, 508-903-5300, [email protected], about the issue of sudden and unexpected failure of the front license plate holder. According to Mr. Walsh, the front license plate holders have been failing on a regular basis, with several instances of failure occurring every year at the BMW of Sudbury dealership. Mr. Walsh mentioned that the failures typically occur within several days to several weeks after the installation of the front license plate holder. In addition, M