Thousands of BMWs recalled in France due to fire risk

BMW drivers in France are being urged to check if their vehicle is one of 4,053 cars being recalled over a fire risk. 

It is part of a recall of hundreds of thousands of vehicles worldwide, with more than a dozen models produced between July 2020 and July 2022 affected by an issue with their motor.

This includes variants of the 2 Series Coupe, 3, 4, 5, and 7 Series sedans, the 6 Series Gran Turismo, X4, X5, X6 and Z4 models.

The Toyota Supra, based on the Z4 and using the same motor, is also impacted.

The affected vehicles face an issue with their starter motor, which may degrade and malfunction. 

In ‘the worst case scenario’, this could lead to short-circuiting and a fire risk, said the German manufacturer. 

Owners of vehicles affected should not leave their vehicle engine running whilst unattended due to the risk of fire, it said.

You can check if your vehicle is impacted on the official BMW website, by entering your 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number (found on the vehicle’s door or chassis, or on your vehicle registration documents). 

Repairs to recalled vehicles will be carried out free of charge. 

Unlike vehicles affected by the recent Takata airbag scandal – which also included BMW models – owners of BMWs subject to the current are not subject to a ‘stop-drive’ campaign.

However, they are urged to take the vehicle in for repairs as soon as possible if needed.