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BMW seat belt buckle sensors may misread belted occupants

NHTSA campaign 20V164000 · Reported Mar 19, 2020 · BMW of North America, LLC

medium How serious is it? About this label

If the airbags or the seat belt tighteners do not work properly in a crash, the driver and front passenger face a greater risk of injury. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.

Key facts

NHTSA campaign number	20V164000
Reported to NHTSA	Mar 19, 2020
Manufacturer	BMW of North America, LLC
Part affected	Seat Belts:front:buckle Assembly
Vehicles covered	3 model/year combinations, model years 2020
Do-not-drive advisory	No
Park-outside advisory	No
Repair	Free at any franchised dealer

What's wrong, in plain English

BMW is recalling certain 2020 X3, X4, 3 Series, 8 Series and M models. Sensors inside the front seat belt buckles can wrongly read a buckled-up driver or front passenger as not wearing the belt. Because of that, the airbags and the seat belt tighteners may not go off the way they should if the car is in a crash. Dealers will check the front seat belt buckles and replace them if needed.

What you should do

1. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your vehicle is included.
2. Contact a BMW dealer to arrange the inspection, or call BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
3. The inspection and any buckle replacement are free of charge.

Where do I find my VIN, and what do I tell the dealer?

Your VIN is the 17-character code on the lower left of the windshield, on your registration and usually on your insurance card. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether this recall is still open on your car. When you call the dealer, say you have an open safety recall and give them NHTSA campaign number 20V164000. More in how recalls work.

Affected vehicles (3)

2020 BMW M340I
2020 BMW X3
2020 BMW X4

Who to contact

BMW — official BMW recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-525-7417

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

BMW Seat Belt Recalls Cover Retractors, Sensors, and Missing Warnings · all 8 BMW recalls in this area

Other BMW X3 recalls

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Dec 11, 2025BMW X3 Steering Wheel May Move Unexpectedlyhigh
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Apr 16, 2025BMW X3 Front Brake Discs Damaged in Transporthigh
Apr 1, 2025BMW 430i, X3 Starter Connection May Loosencritical

All 40 X3 recalls

Official notice

Component: SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
Summary: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 X3 xDrive30e, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, X4M, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, 840i Gran Coupe, 840i xDrive Gran Coupe, M850i xDrive Gran Coupe, M8 Gran Coupe, X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, and 840i xDrive Convertible vehicles. The sensors in the front seat belt buckles may inaccurately detect a belted occupant as unbelted, possibly causing the air bag and seat belt pretensioners to deploy improperly in the event of a crash.
Safety risk: If the air bag and/or seat belt pretensioners deploy improperly in the event of a crash, there is an increased risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the front seat belt buckles, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 18, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.