BMW said Friday, Nov. 13, that it is recalling 720,796 BMW vehicles in the United States because of a fire risk that can occur while they are parked and turned off. In Washington, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urged owners to park outside and away from buildings and other vehicles until repairs are completed, The Detroit News reported.
The affected vehicles were previously recalled in 2024 for a water pump issue and must be repaired again, according to NHTSA. A replacement remedy is still being developed, with no clear timetable for when it will be ready, cleveland.com reported.
Park-outside warning covers 720,796 BMW vehicles
The warning covers 53 models across multiple model years, according to cleveland.com. NHTSA’s guidance is to keep affected vehicles outdoors and separated from structures and other cars until the repair is completed.
The Detroit News quoted the agency’s instruction that owners “should park your vehicle outside and away from buildings and other vehicles until the vehicle is repaired.” BMW said the fire risk exists even when a car is not running.
The new recall includes vehicles that received the earlier repair. NHTSA said those vehicles need another repair, and BMW reported that incidents connected or potentially connected to the problem occurred in vehicles already treated under the previous recall.
Moisture can reach the water pump connector
The problem involves the water pump and its electrical connector. According to NHTSA, an improperly sealed connector may be exposed to water and short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire, The Detroit News reported.
Cleveland.com described the problem as a water pump that can degrade over time, allowing moisture to enter. That moisture can reach the electrical connector and cause a short circuit.
BMW says the problem applies to less than 0.1% of the recalled vehicles, according to cleveland.com, but a recall was still necessary. The company’s estimate accompanies the warning to owners of the full recalled population to park outside until their vehicles are repaired.
Earlier protective shield did not resolve the issue
The new action replaces the 2024 recall for the same issue, cleveland.com reported. Under that recall, affected vehicles were supposed to receive a protective shield designed to keep residual fluid away from the water pump’s electrical connector.
Some vehicles continued to experience problems after receiving that remedy. A BMW investigation determined that the initial repair did not fix the issue, according to cleveland.com.
The Detroit News also reported that the incidents BMW identified occurred in vehicles repaired under the previous recall. Those incidents, and the company’s investigation of the earlier remedy, are part of the reported history behind the repeat recall.
The earlier shield installation and the replacement remedy are separate stages of the recall response: the shield was the previous repair, while the new fix remains under development, according to cleveland.com.
About 10 US incidents reported, with no known injuries
BMW is aware of about 10 incidents in the United States that relate, or may relate, to the issue, The Detroit News reported. The automaker said it was not aware of any crashes or injuries.
Cleveland.com described the reports as 10 field instances possibly connected to the problem, including smoldering and overheating. It likewise reported that BMW was unaware of any related accidents or injuries.
The company’s description does not identify every incident as definitively connected to the defect. Both accounts preserve that qualification, describing incidents that may relate to the issue or are possibly connected to it.
Owner letters and VIN searches begin Dec. 25
Owners of affected BMW vehicles are expected to be notified of the recall through letters sent starting Dec. 25, according to cleveland.com. A second letter will be sent once the remedy is ready. A timetable for that follow-up notification and the availability of the repair remains unclear. The announced mailing date is for the initial recall notification; cleveland.com reported no date for completion of the replacement fix.
Vehicle Identification Numbers involved in the recall will be searchable on the NHTSA website starting Dec. 25, cleveland.com reported. Owners seeking more information may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
While the replacement repair is being developed, NHTSA’s instruction remains to park affected vehicles outside, away from buildings and other vehicles, until they have been repaired.
