2021 BMW Gesture Control Unintended Operation
A manufacturer communication, NHTSA ID 10186894, addresses unintended operations of the gesture control system in various 2021 BMW vehicles. This issue, affecting models like the 2021 BMW 330i, occurs when the gesture camera inadvertently detects movement, leading to unexpected actions.
Also applies to
- BMW 330e
- 2021
- BMW 430i
- 2021
- BMW 530e
- 2021
- BMW 530i
- 2021
- BMW 540i
- 2021
- BMW 740i
- 2021
- BMW 840i
- 2021
- BMW M340i
- 2021
- BMW M440i
- 2021
- BMW M5
- 2021
- BMW M550i
- 2021
- BMW M760i
- 2021
- BMW M8
- 2021
- BMW M850i
- 2021
- BMW X3
- 2021
- BMW X4
- 2021
- BMW X5
- 2021
- BMW X6
- 2021
- BMW X7
- 2021
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BMW has issued a manufacturer communication, identified by NHTSA ID 10186894, concerning the gesture control system in several 2021 BMW models. This communication highlights an issue where the gesture camera may inadvertently detect movement, leading to unintended operations within the vehicle's infotainment or control systems. This affects various vehicles, including the 2021 BMW 330i.
Symptoms
Owners of affected 2021 BMW vehicles might experience unexpected actions from their vehicle's gesture control system. This manifests as the system performing functions without an intentional user gesture. The core problem is that the gesture camera inadvertently detects movement, triggering these unintended operations.
Diagnosis / Trigger Conditions
The root cause of the issue, as described in the manufacturer communication 10186894, is the gesture camera. This camera, part of the vehicle's ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, is designed to recognize specific hand movements for controlling certain functions. However, it can sometimes misinterpret ambient movements or reflections as commands, leading to the
What BMW 330i owners report
Counted from the records in our database across 16 model years.
- 818
- Owner complaints
- 39
- Recalls
- 863
- Service bulletins
- 30
- Crashes reported
- 38
- Fires reported
- 36
- Injuries reported
The 2021 model year
29 complaints, the 10th most of 16 model years on file. Owners reported 1 crash, 3 fires and 1 injury for this year, which also has 7 recalls on file.
Electrical System, the system this article covers, accounts for 132 of 818 complaints (16%), including 13 for 2021.
Complaints by model year
| 2001 | 116 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 45 | |
| 2003 | 77 | |
| 2004 | 113 | |
| 2006 | 219 | |
| 2017 | 42 | |
| 2018 | 32 | |
| 2019 | 41 | |
| 2020 | 53 | |
| 2021 | 29 |
Most-reported systems
- Air Bags — 246
- Exterior Lighting — 153
- Electrical System — 132
- Engine — 89
- Power Train — 44
Latest recalls for the 2021 model year
- 26V056000 — Electrical System (Jan 2026)
- 25V636000 — Electrical System (Sep 2025) — Park outside
- 23V584000 — Electrical System (Aug 2023)
Recent owner reports about electrical system
The contact owned a 2021 BMW 330i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V056000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable.
Read owner complaints →I phoned BMW today for an update on this recall. After 6 months, Manufacturer still does not have a fix or repair for your recall 25V636000 and no solution date. This is completely unacceptable.
Complaints are owner reports filed with NHTSA. They are unverified, and counts depend on how many vehicles were sold, so they are not a failure rate.
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