DEARBORN – BMW is recalling more than 917,000 older cars and SUVs in the U.S. to remedy a fault that may lead to engine compartment fires, most of them for the third time.
Numerous 3 Series, 5 Series, 1 Series, X5, X3, and Z4 vehicles from the model years 2006 through 2013 are included in the recall.
According to documents published on Wednesday by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the heater for the positive crankcase ventilation valve may have an electrical short. They are able to overheat and catch fire.
When the cars are being driven or right after they are parked, there is a fire risk. According to BMW, fires have been few and the cars may still be driven.
However, the business advises in documentation that a driver should pull to a safe spot, turn off the engine, and exit the car if they smell smoke, burning plastic, or see smoke coming from the engine compartment.
The German car manufacturer is still working on a repair. Owners will be informed in writing beginning on April 25.
For the same issue, the majority of the vehicles were recalled between 2017 and 2019. According to BMW records, owners who had the prior repairs made will need to have their cars fixed once more.
According to papers, BMW has received eight reports of fires but none of any crashes or injuries linked to the issue.
Owners can check to see if their vehicles are affected by going to https://www.nhtsa.gov and entering their 17-digit vehicle identification number.
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Over 900,000 BMW cars and SUVs are recalled due to a fire risk.
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BMW is recalling 917,106 cars due to the possibility of a short circuit starting a fire. The 2007–2010 X3 SUV, the 2008–2013 1 Series coupe and convertible, the 2007–2013 3 Series coupe and convertible, the 2006–2011 3 Series sedan, the 2006–2012 3 Series wagon, the 2006–2010 5 Series sedan, the 2006–2007 5 Series coupe, and the 2006–2011 Z4 coupe are among the vehicles that have been recalled.
Some of these vehicles will need to be taken back to a dealer for further repair because they were already recalled in 2017 and/or 2019 for a related problem.
The PCV valve heater, which aids in the recirculation of waste gases within the engine, has a manufacturing flaw, according to documentation the automaker submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The heater can malfunction, overheat, and ignite. An illuminated check engine light, smoke emerging from the vicinity of the engine compartment, and the smell of burning plastic may be the first things drivers notice.
BMW reported to NHTSA that despite at least six field reports of flames, there haven’t been any accidents or injuries as a result of the issue. The automaker is still trying to come up with a fix.
Calls for an investigation into potential reasons are increasing as inexplicable BMW fires persist.
Despite persistent reports of parked BMWs catching fire, there is no ongoing inquiry into the causes by the government watchdog for vehicle safety.
Jason Levine, the executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, claims that NHTSA is not doing enough to safeguard customers.
BMW maintains that a number of external factors “unrelated to product problems” might cause automobile fires. Another possible reason for car fires, according to a company spokeswoman in 2017, included poor maintenance, work performed incorrectly by unlicensed mechanics, aftermarket modifications, mouse nests, and even intentional fire.
The premium automaker wasn’t the only one to make that decision. Since 2017, 62 recalls connected to parked-car fires have been issued by automobile manufacturers together. For instance, Hyundai and Kia recalled 168,000 vehicles just last month due to a fire risk.
How many BMWs have burned out?
More than a million vehicles are being recalled worldwide by the German automaker BMW due to a problem with the engine ventilation system that might lead to a fire.
According to a BMW representative, the recall affects over 917,000 sedans and SUVs in the US, 98,000 vehicles in Canada, and 18,000 vehicles in South Korea.
The positive crankcase ventilation valve heater in the vehicles is susceptible to an electrical short, according to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Whether the car is being driven or parked, that inconsistency over time may cause overheating and possibly a fire.
A request for response from BMW was not immediately complied with. A “remedy is being developed,” according to the company’s documentation, and should be ready by mid-2022.
The majority of the affected 3 Series, 5 Series, 1 Series, X5, X3, and Z4 vehicles were already recalled. The recall was disclosed on the NHTSA website on Wednesday.
BMW advises drivers to pull over to a safe spot, turn off the engine, and get out of the car if they smell smoke or burning plastic or see smoke coming from the engine.
According to the NHTSA recall report, the first fire was seen in 2019, but it was thought to be an isolated incident. Six further instances had been reported by the beginning of 2021.
Although fires have proven infrequent, the carmaker claims it started a voluntary recall last week. Starting on April 25, letters will be sent to impacted car owners.
Are BMW vehicles safe?
In collisions, BMWs are particularly safe. BMWs typically receive five-out-of-five ratings for overall safety, although they frequently receive lower scores in other categories. A
It’s critical to learn the full truth.
Despite not having the highest safety ratings, BMWs are reliable cars with a ton of driver assistance and crash avoidance technologies to keep you safe on the road.
Which automobile burns out the most?
According to the study, hybrid cars, which combine an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, had the most fires per 100,000 vehicles (3475), while cars with an internal combustion engine only came in second. The least number of fully electric automobiles was: 25 per 100,000
Which automobiles are on fire?
Kia Sportage SUVs from 2014 to 2016 and the K900 sedan from 2016 to 2018 are among the models that are subject to this recall.
Santa Fe SUVs from 2016 through 2018, Santa Fe Sports from 2017 and 2018, Tucson SUVs from 2014 and 2015, and the 2019 Santa Fe XL are among the Hyundai models involved in the recall.
There are various warning indicators that drivers may see or smell that suggest their car might be subject to the recall. Drivers may see smoke coming from the engine compartment, the antilock brake warning light turning on, or they may smell something burning or melting.
The 17-digit vehicle identification number should be entered on the NHTSA website by owners of the Kia and Hyundai models that are subject to the recall, advises the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
A parked car may it catch fire?
A parked car may it catch fire? The voltage that is produced when two wires, or a wire and the car itself, are linked, is the same. Due to the increased electric current, this could harm the circuit, cause overheating, and possibly start a fire.
When do BMW recalls end?
From John Paul, here are some further details about auto recalls:
- Recalls typically don’t have an expiration date. They will also change hands from one owner to the next. Even though you were not the owner at the time of the recall, you are still entitled to the repair if you purchase a used automobile and later learn it has an open recall.
- The manufacturer might demand a price for the repair after the car is ten years old.
- A recall does not necessarily indicate that a car is of bad quality. It simply indicates that a component needs to be replaced since it is faulty or performing poorly. It does not constitute a criticism of the car as a whole.
- Recalls and extended warranties are not the same. In the latter, a component may not last as long as it should, in which case the manufacturer may decide to extend the warranty for that specific component. Volkswagen, for instance, informed some owners of specific models via letters that the ignition switch warranty had been increased to 10 years or 100,000 miles. Since the ignition switch did not need to be fixed, the vehicle was not subject to a recall.
Are BMWs known to malfunction?
The only fully electric BMW in this study is the i3, which is also the first mass-produced electric vehicle to leave Germany and the only fully electric BMW on the market in 2019. The producer will launch a number of new electric vehicles in 2021, including the BMW ix3.
Despite the fact that there are over 17,000 of these vehicles on UK roads, ReliabilityIndex was unable to compile an accurate performance report due to a lack of data.
The Which? consumer reliability survey included more than 55,000 participants, and with this number of responses, there was enough information from BMW i3 owners to create a comprehensive picture of the car’s dependability.
A remarkable 16% of newer vehicles contain faults. When they do have problems, they are also quite quickly fixed; the average downtime for an i3 in the 12 months before to the poll was just one and a half days.
The number of cars that had a fault so severe it forced them off the road entirely was 4.4%, despite the fact that the fault rate is well below average (which is positive). Although this is higher than the industry average for more recent electric vehicles, the entire % needs to be viewed as a number as with other data-based statistics. Less than 1% of all new BMW i3 owners are actually impacted by the breakdown rate, which is only 4.4% of the 16% total recorded issues.
Serious motor troubles, which can occasionally result in a full motor failure, and ventilation system problems are the most frequent problems that i3 owners report.
According to statistics gathered by Which?, 36% of owners of older i3 models (between 3 and 8 years old) reported having a problem with their car. 7.4% of owners reported having trouble starting their cars. The i3 is not like many older automobiles, which require much more time to fix than their more modern rivals. Owners were without their cars for an average of two days when the vehicle needed to be taken in for maintenance.
The engine electrics were the main problem customers had with an older generation i3. 15% of owners who experienced a problem determined that this was to blame. Battery charging issues were reported by a very tiny percentage of owners.
Overall, evidence obtained from current owners of the i3 by Which? indicates that it is a dependable electric vehicle. Due to this, the upgraded model received four out of five stars in the 2020 consumer report. Older models only received two stars out of five since they were not thought to be as dependable, had more major breakdowns and troubles, and were not thought to be as desired.
The i3 is a model that you may be considering if you want to go electric, and its reliability makes leasing a new car a very appealing option. Especially when you consider the stark disparity in reliability between the newer and older versions.
BMW recall costs nothing?
Call BMW Emergency Services at 0800 777 109, according to BMW, and the vehicle will be transported to a BMW dealership for a free recall remedy.
What BMW issue is the most prevalent?
Oil Spills. Oil leaks are among the most typical issues with BMWs, despite the fact that newer BMW models do not have this problem. BMWs frequently experience oil leaks at the transmission or at the valve corners. A malfunctioning gasoline pump can possibly be at blame.