BMW of North America has issued a recall for 5,920 units of the 2018-2019 BMW X1. This recall affects both the sDrive28i and xDrive28i variants, with production dates from Oct. 5, 2018 to Jan. 18, 2019. According to the recall notice, the problem stems from the taillights. In the affected vehicles, the hardware used to attach the taillights to the body might not be built to the supplier’s specification, and a bunch of cutting oil left on components might seep into the light housing and crack the attachment bracket.
If that happens, the lights will become loose, and a strong enough bump might break the light free from its moorings entirely. Since the lights are still connected to the wiring harness, they shouldn’t disappear on the road; instead, they’ll flap and dangle about creating a hazard.
“Contaminated hardware may cause the attachment brackets of the taillight housings to crack, causing the lights to loosen or possibly detach from the vehicle,” NHTSA documents read.
“The analyses showed that oil present on the surface of the securing nut could permeate the plastic material of the rear lamp housing and lead to cracks in the attachment bracket.”
BMW was first notified of a potential issue on Jan. 8, 2019, when distribution centers noticed loose taillights, and that’s when BMW found that cutting oil present on the parts. Thankfully, BMW has not received any reports of injuries or accidents linked to the angle of the taillight’s dangle.
Once affected owners are notified starting March 15, dealers will secure each taillight as needed free of charge. BMW’s customer’s service division can be reached at 1-800-525-7417.
To search active recalls, use the NHTSA’s website to search your 17-character VIN at this link.
