Recall
NHTSA evaluates defect petition on 2022 BMW 540i driveshaft
NHTSA's petition record mentions BMW Safety Recall 26V525, filed Aug. 12, 2026; the recall lists 36,823 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign, including 2021-2023 540i vehicles, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, repair them free of charge.
Checked against 2 sources (2 primary)Records from nhtsa.gov · How we report
Published · 3 min read
Key numbers
Units potentially affected as filed with NHTSA
- Crash risk
- Model years
- 2020–2026 840i and 840i xDrive
- 2021–2023 540i, 540i xDrive and M550i xDrive
- 2024–2026 750e xDrive
- NHTSA campaign
- 26V-525
Jump to
Is your car affected?
For open (unrepaired) recalls on your car, enter its 17-character VIN in NHTSA's lookup by VIN.
Recall at a glance
- Investigation
- Defect Petition DP26009 [1]
- Opened
- Sept. 14, 2026 [1]
- Vehicles named in the petition
- 2022 BMW 540i [1]
- Subject (NHTSA's wording)
- Driveshaft to rear differential connection failure [1]
- Petition
- Dated Aug. 5, 2026; received by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation on Sept. 1, 2026 [1]
- Purpose
- To evaluate the issue and determine whether to grant or deny the petition [1]
- Petition record
- ODI number 11761650 at NHTSA.gov [1]
- Recall named in the petition record
- Safety Recall 26V525, filed by BMW on Aug. 12, 2026 [1]
- NHTSA campaign number
- 26V525000 [2]
- Recall 26V525 vehicles
- Certain 2020-2026 840i, 840i xDrive, 2021-2023 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, and 2024-2026 750e xDrive vehicles [2]
- Risk
- An unexpected loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash; a damaged driveshaft can result in a vehicle rollaway if the parking brake is not applied [2]
- Recall 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 [2]
- Owner letters (Recall 26V525)
- Mailed Oct. 8, 2026 [2]
- BMW customer service
- 1-800-525-7417 [2]
| Make | Model | Model years |
|---|---|---|
| BMW | 840i; units are the campaign total across all listed models, NHTSA gives no per-model split | 2020-2026 |
| BMW | 840i xDrive; included in the campaign total on the 840i entry, NHTSA gives no per-model split | 2020-2026 |
| BMW | 540i; included in the campaign total on the 840i entry, NHTSA gives no per-model split | 2021-2023 |
| BMW | 540i xDrive; included in the campaign total on the 840i entry, NHTSA gives no per-model split | 2021-2023 |
| BMW | M550i xDrive; included in the campaign total on the 840i entry, NHTSA gives no per-model split | 2021-2023 |
| BMW | 750e xDrive; included in the campaign total on the 840i entry, NHTSA gives no per-model split | 2024-2026 |
NHTSA gives one count for the whole campaign: 36,823 units potentially affected.
| Make | Model | Model years | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW | 540i | 2022 | Not stated |
What to do
Owner notification letters for Recall 26V525 were mailed Oct. 8, 2026.
Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
The recall record says VINs involved in the recall would become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning Oct. 2, 2026.
The NHTSA recall record does not carry a "park it" or "park outside" advisory for Recall 26V525.
The defect petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11761650.
If you are shopping for a used BMW from the models and model years above, run its VIN through a recall check before you buy.
What happened
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened Defect Petition DP26009 on Sept. 14, 2026. NHTSA's investigation file lists the vehicle as the 2022 BMW 540i and the component as the driveshaft.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received the petition on Sept. 1, 2026. The petition is dated Aug. 5, 2026, and requests an investigation into an alleged defect in BMW rear differential assemblies.
The petitioner alleges that 2022 BMW 540i vehicles are experiencing a sudden mechanical failure that severs the drive connection between the driveshaft and the rear wheels.
ODI says the petition has been opened to evaluate the issue and determine whether to grant or deny the petition.
NHTSA's petition record says BMW filed Safety Recall 26V525 on Aug. 12, 2026. In that recall, BMW of North America is recalling certain 2020-2026 840i, 840i xDrive, 2021-2023 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, and 2024-2026 750e xDrive vehicles.
NHTSA lists 36,823 vehicles as potentially affected by Recall 26V525. That is the total for the whole campaign, all models.
According to the recall record, 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.
An unexpected loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. A damaged driveshaft can also result in a vehicle rollaway if the parking brake is not applied, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Is my car affected?
Recall 26V525 covers certain 2020-2026 840i, 840i xDrive, 2021-2023 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, and 2024-2026 750e xDrive vehicles. The defect petition names 2022 BMW 540i vehicles.
Under Recall 26V525, 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.
Enter your 17-character VIN in our free recall check at /vin-check/ or on NHTSA.gov.
New NHTSA vehicle recalls: Recall tracker
This story was prepared with AI assistance and fact-checked by our AI review process against its sources, then reviewed by Paul Grice before publication. Our AI policy.
Sources
All 2 are primary sources, accessed 2026-10-26.