TSB B521823 — BMW Service bulletin

B521823 is a service bulletin on file with NHTSA for the BMW X3, 2004–2023 model years. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

What the bulletin says. A noise can be heard from underneath the seat while the seat is being moved either forwards or backwards. This can occur to the driver’s and/or the passenger’s front seat.

NHTSA's own summary of the document, quoted from the public manufacturer-communications file.

1Document filed
1Vehicle named
19Model years

Vehicles and model years B521823 names

VehicleModel years
BMW X3 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023

Every document filed under B521823

Document IDFiledType
B521823 December 15, 2023 Service bulletin

What B521823 covers

Seats & interior — the component vocabulary NHTSA files this communication under.

← All BMW X3 TSB years TSB lookup by model

Questions buyers ask

What is TSB B521823?

B521823 is a service bulletin filed with NHTSA by BMW, covering the BMW X3 across the 2004–2023 model years. NHTSA's summary reads: A noise can be heard from underneath the seat while the seat is being moved either forwards or backwards. This can occur to the driver’s and/or the passenger’s front seat.

Which vehicles does B521823 cover?

NHTSA's file names BMW X3 (2004–2021, 2023). A bulletin number can be re-issued against more vehicles later, so check the model-year list on this page against your own.

Is TSB B521823 a recall, and is the repair free?

No. B521823 is repair guidance the manufacturer sent its dealers, not a safety defect finding. You pay for the work unless the vehicle is still under warranty. Recall repairs, by contrast, are always free.

How do I get the full text of B521823?

Take the document ID to a dealer's service desk, or search NHTSA's manufacturer-communications records. This page carries every document ID filed under B521823, its date, and NHTSA's own summary from the public file.

Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. This page lists only what NHTSA's manufacturer-communications file records under B521823. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.