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BMW M550i Driveshaft Connection May Fail
high How serious is it? About this label
A damaged driveshaft connection can cause a sudden loss of power to the rear wheels or cause the vehicle to roll away unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.
Key facts
| NHTSA campaign number | 26V525000 |
|---|---|
| Reported to NHTSA | Aug 12, 2026 |
| Manufacturer | BMW of North America, LLC |
| Part affected | Power Train:driveline:driveshaft |
| Vehicles covered | 3 model/year combinations, model years 2021–2025 |
| Do-not-drive advisory | No |
| Park-outside advisory | No |
| Repair | Free at any franchised dealer |
What's wrong, in plain English
On certain BMW vehicles including the M550i xDrive, the connection between the driveshaft and the rear differential can become damaged. This can cause a loss of power to the rear wheels while driving, or it can lead to the vehicle rolling away on its own if the parking brake isn't set. A sudden loss of power increases the risk of a crash, and an unexpected rollaway increases the risk of a crash or injury.
What you should do
2. Contact a BMW dealer; you can also call BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
3. The repair is free.
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 26V525000. More in how recalls work.
Affected vehicles (3)
Who to contact
BMW — official BMW recall lookup
Customer service: 1-800-525-7417
The bigger picture
- BMW Power Train Recalls Involve Transmission and Motorcycle Drive Failures · all 13 BMW recalls in this area
Other BMW M550I recalls
- Feb 19, 2021BMW backup camera may show partial or blank imagemedium
- Sep 30, 2020BMW X3, X4 and M5 rearview camera image partly blockedmedium
- Sep 27, 2019BMW, Toyota Supra backup camera image can vanishhigh
Official notice
- Component
- POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
- Summary
- 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.
- Safety 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.
Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.