- The recall affects a variety of BMW SUVs, sedans, and sports cars across the lineup.
- BMW reports no known accidents or injuries linked to the identified fault.
- The Korean Ministry of Transport initially alerted BMW to the potential issue.
BMW has issued a huge recall in the United States impacting over 720,000 vehicles that have been fitted with a defective water pump. If you own or know anyone who owns a BMW built between 2012 and 2018, you’ll want to pay close attention.
A recall notice issued through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals that blow-by-liquid from the positive crankcase ventilation system could collect on the intake air hose. This could cause liquid to drop onto the plug connector and over time, this may lead to a short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Read: Nearly 400,000 BMW 3-Series May Have An M Steering Wheel That Could Explode
The recall impacts certain 2012-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 2012-2016 Z4 sDrive28i, 528i, 528i xDrive, 328i, 328xi, 2016-2018 X5 xdrive 40e, 2014-2016 228i, 228xi, 428i, 428i xDrive, 328xi Gran Turismo, 2013-2017 X3 sDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, 2015-2018 X4 xDrive28i, and 2015-2016 428xi vehicles. In total, 720,796 vehicles are involved in the recall. The issue is most widespread in 2012-2016 BMW 328i and 328xi models, impacting 236,702 units.
The car manufacturer first became aware of a potential issue on March 19, 2024, when it was contacted by the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport over a vehicle fire. BMW started an investigation and learned of a similar incident that had occurred in the U.S. in January.
Over the following months, BMW tested field parts, analyzed water pumps, and investigated plug connectors. It discovered that in certain rare vehicle operation conditions, the sealing of the electric plug connector could be compromised by blow-by fluid dripping from the intake air hose.
BMW told the NHTSA that it is aware of 18 customer complaints, concerns, and field reports that could be related to the issue in the U.S. but doesn’t know of any accidents or injuries.
Owners of impacted models will be notified of the recall from October 4 and instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer where the water pump and plug connector will be inspected and, if necessary, replaced. A shield will also be installed to divert any fluid that might drop down onto the pump from the positive crankcase ventilation system’s intake air hose.
