[Glen e]

I was with BMW OF NORTH AMERICA LLC. 20 years as a field rep.
Here’s (in general) the way I saw these things work. Not saying that this is the right way, but it is the way it is usually handled in dealer land.

If it’s a recall you’ll get a letter and you’ll be told to bring the car in. It’s when the government and Bmw determines that it would be a safety or an operational defect. And must be corrected.

A TSB, or technical service bulletin (campaign) is a little bit more hazy. If it’s a campaign, you will usually not be contacted at home by the dealer.If it’s something that is to correct in a problem like a squeaky wiper blade or a noisy window lift motor, some will only do it if you complain. Some service advisors will ask you if you’re having that problem. Other TSB‘s that are completely transparent to you are usually done because the dealer can make a little bit of money on warranty doing it. If it’s going to change the actual operation of the car, they usually seek your approval and or they notify you at the time you bring it in, they are asking for your opinion. TSB‘s are far more murky as to how they get done than a recall, And not every dealership handles them the same way.

If the car is being traded in and is going to be certified and has warranty left on the car, they do all the TSB’s on the car.

An easy way to cut through the clutter of all this is when you take your car in and sit down with the service advisor, you can ask if there are any available technical campaigns on your car. They are usually listed in his computer screen in the R.O generator program, under your record/VIN.. You and him can then decide what you want to do. I just had this happen on a Honda, the screenshot for updates showed 4 that could be done, I only wanted 2 of them done.