Munich – An issue with the starter motor appears to be responsible for the potential risk of fire in BMW cars. Consequently, BMW is recalling hundreds of thousands of cars globally. A warning has also been issued for Germany, as reported by the German Press Agency (dpa).
The affected cars are now to return to workshops to have the problem fixed. In Germany alone, approximately 136,500 vehicles are affected, according to BMW. Around 195,000 cars are affected in the USA. The company did not provide global figures.
However, the global numbers are expected to be significantly higher. Numerous models from a production period spanning September 2015 to September 2021 are believed to be affected. The recall also applies to other European countries and Asia.
The underlying problem: There appears to be a specific type of leak in the affected vehicles. In certain areas, water can penetrate the starter motor and cause corrosion. Starting the engine might then no longer be possible.
This is dangerous because the corrosion during starting can also lead to a short circuit and local overheating. “In the worst case, this could potentially lead to a vehicle fire,” dpa reports.
According to BMW, this is possible even when the vehicle is parked. Therefore, affected customers are advised “urgently, until the repair is completed, to park their vehicle outdoors and not in immediate proximity to buildings.” There is no statement from BMW regarding the costs yet. The starter motors need to be replaced, and for some cars, a more powerful battery might be required. Therefore, the costs “can certainly add up.”
Simultaneously, the Reuters news agency reports that the automaker Toyota is also experiencing problems. A responsible US authority, which had also reported on corrosion at contact points in BMW cars, stated at the same time that Toyota vehicles are affected by the same problem as those from BMW.
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