NHTSA campaign 16V311000
BMW Recall 16V-311: Front Driveshaft Universal Joint may Fail
NHTSA recall 16V311000 was reported by BMW of North America, LLC on May 17, 2016, with 21,493 vehicles potentially affected (per NHTSA). NHTSA's record lists the BMW X5, BMW X5 Diesel SAV, BMW X6 and more for the 2011 model year. Owners were notified on July 8, 2016, per NHTSA.
Updated daily from NHTSA's recall files
Is my vehicle included?
This page lists, by model year, the vehicles NHTSA's recall record names for campaign 16V311000 in the model years try.vin imports (1995 and later); NHTSA's own record can list more. A model year on the list doesn't mean every vehicle of that year is included, and some may already have been repaired.
To see whether a specific vehicle is included and still needs the repair, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
BMW VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Key facts
- NHTSA campaign
- 16V311000 (also written 16V-311 or 16V311)
- Filed by
- BMW of North America, LLC
- Report received
- Potentially affected
- 21,493 vehicles (per NHTSA)
- Component
- Power Train — Driveline — Driveshaft
- Owners notified
Repair completion: 76.23% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated October 21, 2026)
NHTSA cautions against comparing completion rates across recalls or manufacturers. How try.vin reads them.
Vehicles listed for this recall
NHTSA's recall record lists these vehicles for recall 16V311000. try.vin imports model years 1995 and later, so NHTSA's own list can be longer. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to it. Build dates are NHTSA's range for a model year (per NHTSA); a vehicle built in that range is not necessarily included.
BMW
BMW X5
- 2011 · Vehicles built April 5, 2010 – November 20, 2010 (per NHTSA)
BMW X5 Diesel SAV
- 2011 · Vehicles built April 7, 2010 – November 20, 2010 (per NHTSA)
BMW X6
- 2011 · Vehicles built April 5, 2010 – November 20, 2010 (per NHTSA)
BMW X6 Activehybrid SAC
- 2011 · Vehicles built April 15, 2010 – November 17, 2010 (per NHTSA)
NHTSA's recall notice
As NHTSA's recall record states it for campaign 16V311000.
Defect description
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2011 X5 xDrive 35i, xDrive50i, X5 M, X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i, and X6 M vehicles manufactured April 5, 2010, to November 20, 2010, 2011 X5 xDrive35d diesel vehicles manufactured April 7, 2010, to November 20, 2010, and 2011 X6 Active Hybrid vehicles manufactured April 15, 2010, to November 17, 2010. The affected vehicles have a front driveshaft universal joint that may not seal out water and debris from getting in and damaging the joint, which could lead to its failure.
Safety consequence
If the front universal joint fails, the front wheels would not be driven, affecting vehicle traction. Additionally, continued driving of the vehicle with a broken front universal joint may damage other components. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.
Manufacturer remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driveshaft, free of charge. The recall began on July 8, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Sources
Official NHTSA notice for recall 16V311000
Campaign details come from NHTSA's recall files, which try.vin imports once a day. The plain-language subject and the completion rate come from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Recalls Data dataset. How try.vin reads recall data.