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2022 BMW X4, X4 M Recalled Stateside Over a Facepalm Defect

Last month, BMW’s North American branch became aware of a potential issue surrounding the illumination of the rear license plate on certain 2022 X4 and X4 Ms.
2022 BMW X4 M 7 photos
Photo: BMW
2022 BMW X4 M2022 BMW X4 M2022 BMW X4 M2022 BMW X4 M2022 BMW X4 M2022 BMW X4 M
Subsequent to conducting an internal investigation, they have discovered that due to the redesigned rear bumper in combination with the old license plate bracket, the rear license plate may not be illuminated accordingly. The truly facepalm defect has now led to a recall conducted by BMW and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

No less than 2,577 units, with a 100% estimated defect rate, of the 2022 BMW X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, and X4 M, assembled between July 15 and October 15 this year, are being affected. According to a document made public by the safety agency, these vehicles do not fully conform to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard #108 for ‘Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment’.

Most safety campaigns are being conducted in this field because of potentially dangerous situations, either to the driver, occupant(s), or other road users. However, in this case, since the rear license plate is not visible in lowlight conditions, the “law enforcement may not be able to clearly read” it, hence the noncompliance blamed on the rear license plate bracket, which was actually made by BMW.

As usual, the automaker will reach out to owners of the aforementioned X4 and X4 M premium compact crossovers, informing them of the problem and instructing them to schedule an appointment with an authorized dealer. Technicians are said to modify the plate bracket, and all work will be performed free of charge.

Dealers were already informed toward the end of October, and owners should hear from the company on or before December 14. Meanwhile, they can contact the BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 should they have any questions on the topic.
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About the author: Cristian Gnaticov
Cristian Gnaticov profile photo

After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s.
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