Saturday, August 8, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

BMW X3 2018–2021technical service bulletin

Bulletin B512119 · NHTSA communication 10182611 · issued Oct 1, 2020

Technical service bulletin
communication type
Equipment Adaptive/mobility
component
2018–2021
model years
4
vehicle entries

Official summary

ACTIVE AIR FLAP FAULT DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR: A check control message or MIL (Malfunction Indicator Lamp) may be illuminated, with faults stored related to the upper and/or lower active air flap(s). Potential causes include: Faulty upper air flap actuator or flap assembly (G01, G02, G12, G30, G32) Faulty lower air flap assembly (G01, G02, G12, G30, G32) Software error in the DME affecting the upper flap (G01, G02 only).

What a TSB means. Technical service bulletins are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls, and repairs are not automatically free (warranty extensions are an exception worth checking). The full document is available via NHTSA’s vehicle lookup.