BMW is recalling a whopping one million vehicles in North America over two separate issues involving fire risks. Both recalls include cars produced from 2006 to the 2011 model years. One recall covers 670,000 3 Series models from 2006 to 2011 model years, while the second recall is issued for 740,000 cars from 2007 to 2011 model years. The latter includes the 128i, 3 Series, 5 Series, X3, X5, and Z4 models. Although these figures amount to more than 1.4 million units, BMW says the recalls overlap and cover about one million examples. Nearly all cars have been sold in the United States, while about 15,000 are from Canada. The recalls may expand to other countries in the future, but no specific announcement has been made as of this writing.
The first recall for the 3 Series models only will address a wiring issue for heating and air conditioning system. According to the company's report for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the systems may overheat and could increase the risk of a fire in the car. BMW has reportedly been monitoring the issue since 2008 and has made some improvements in 2011, but some incidents from 2015 and 2016, which led to injuries, prompted a mass recall. The second recall is about a valve heater issue that may cause damage to the engine compartment. No injuries or crashes related to this problem have been reported so far. All cars involved will have their wiring harnesses and valve heaters replaced at BMW dealers, free of charge.
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Why it matters?
Recalls have become an important part of the auto industry in recent decades and, unfortunately, some issues have caused serious crashes, injuries, and even fatalities. So it's not surprising that the German brand has been monitoring these problems for quite a few years a now and decided to have a big recall before more incidents and injuries are reported. If you own a 128i, 3 Series, 5 Series, X3, X5 or Z4 vehicle built for the 2006 to 2011 model years, make sure you check with the NHTSA and your local dealer for a checkup and fix. Lives may be at stake here, so don't take any risks.
References
BMW 1 Series
Read our full review on the 2010 BMW 1 Series.
BMW 3 Series
Read our full review on the 2007 BMW 3 Series.
BMW 5 Series
Read our full review on the 2007 BMW 5 Series.
BMW X3
Read our full review on the 2011 BMW X3.
BMW X5
Read our full review on the 2011 BMW X5.
BMW Z4
Read our full review on the 2009 BMW Z4.