BMW North America announces recall of 720,796 vehicles in the U.S.

On November 13, BMW of North America announced a recall of 720,796 vehicles in the United States due to the risk of fire when the vehicles are parked with the engine off. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) urged affected owners to park their vehicles outdoors and away from buildings and other vehicles until repairs are completed. NHTSA noted that these vehicles were previously recalled in 2024 for a water pump issue and will need to return to the dealership for repairs again. NHTSA stated that the electrical connector on the water pump may allow water intrusion due to poor sealing, potentially causing a short circuit and increasing the risk of vehicle fire. BMW has learned of 10 fire incidents potentially related to this defect, all of which occurred after the vehicles had completed the 2024 recall repairs. BMW is still developing the repair remedy for this recall. Affected models include: 2012–2016 BMW 3 Series, 2012–2016 BMW 5 Series, 2012–2015 BMW X1, 2012–2016 BMW Z4, 2013–2017 BMW X3, 2014–2016 BMW 2 Series Coupe, 2014–2016 BMW 3 Series Sports Wagon, 2014–2016 BMW 328xi Gran Turismo, 2014–2016 BMW 4 Series Convertible, 2014–2016 BMW 4 Series Coupe, 2015–2016 BMW 2 Series Convertible, 2015–2016 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, 2015–2018 BMW X4, and 2016–2018 BMW X5 xDrive40e.