BMW is hoping that the third time’s a charm as it recalls hundreds thousands of cars to cure a fire risk, despite already having made two previous attempts.
Owners of more than 917,000 BMW cars and SUVs built between 2006 and 2013 will be notified by letter that their vehicle will need dealer attention. Those vehicles include the 1-Series, 3-Series, 5-Series, X3, X5 and Z4.
According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) those models could suffer an electrical short in the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve heater that could overheat and cause an underhood fire. The NHTSA says the risk if fire occurs either during driving, or shortly after the car is parked, though BMW claims incidents are so rare that the vehicles can still be driven while it works out a fix.
A report from the carmaker to NHTSA earlier this month stated that the PCV valve heater “may not have been produced by the supplier to specifications.” BMW warned that smoke could become visible from the area near the engine compartment, and also claimed that drivers might notice “a plastic burning odor.”
Related: Mercedes EQS Hit With Another Recall, This Time Over A Fire Risk
BMW previously issued recalls in 2017 for 740,000 cars built between 2007-11, and in 2019 for 184,500 produced from 2006. But this latest recall replaces those recalls, meaning that even if your car previously went in for a fix, it will need to go back for another one, where it can rub shoulders with vehicles from 2012-13 that are being investigated for the first time.
There are no reports of accidents or injuries relating directly to the problem, but nor is there yet a fix for it. BMW has notified its dealers of the problem and will is busy working on a solution that’s expected to land mid-2022.
