BMW is recalling more than 917,000 cars and SUVs in the United States to fix a problem that can cause engine compartment fires. This is the third recall for some of these models. According to NHTSA, the recall covers vehicles built between 2006 and 2013, including some 1 Series, 3 Series, X3, 5 Series, X5 and Z4 models. This supersedes and expands the previous recalls in 2017 and 2019 which covered 740,000 and 184,000 U.S. vehicles, respectively.
The recall notice says that the heater for the positive crankcase ventilation valve (PCV) may short-circuit and in extremely rare cases could increase the risk of a fire. The fire risk occurs while the vehicles are being driven or soon after they are parked. BMW says the vehicles can still be driven and don’t have to be parked outdoors because fires have been rare. Furthermore, BMW says in the recall that if a driver smells smoke or burning plastic or sees smoke from the engine compartment, they should pull to a safe location, shut off the engine and leave the vehicle.
BMW says is still developing a fix. ABC quotes BMW of North America spokesperson Jay Hanson, who said the remedy and a sufficient parts inventory are expected in mid-2022. Owners will be notified by letter starting April 25. BMW wouldn’t say how many vehicles are being recalled outside of the U.S.
Owners can go to https://www.nhtsa.gov and key in their 17-digit vehicle identification number to see if their BMW vehicles are affected.
