In an announcement on Thursday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that BMW is recalling 105,558 vehicles across the United States to address a potential starter motor overheating issue. This latest recall affects a variety of models, including select X5, X7, 3 Series, and 7 Series vehicles, due to concerns over an electrical overload that could cause the starter motor to overheat.

The issue has been identified as a significant safety risk by the NHTSA. According to their statement, repeated attempts to start the vehicle in the event of a starter motor failure could lead to overheating. This follows a previous recall just a month ago, where BMW recalled 390,000 cars over defective airbags that posed a risk of explosion during deployment, potentially causing severe injuries or fatalities. BMW will provide a free software update to rectify the issue, with notification letters expected to be sent to owners in September. The models affected by this recall include:

  • 2019-2020 BMW X5
  • 2019-2020 BMW X7
  • 2020 BMW 3 Series
  • 2020 BMW 8 Series
  • 2020 BMW X6
  • 2020-2021 BMW 7 Series

The recall stems from a brief period during which BMW factories utilized a starter motor of a different design in some vehicles. “In certain cases in which the engine starter has some mechanical damage, the engine may not be able to be started,” BMW stated. “If the driver repeatedly attempts to start the engine using excessively long starting attempts, this may cause an electrical overload of the starter.”

This electrical overload could, theoretically, lead to a thermal event due to the proximity of the starter to the acoustic protection material. However, BMW has emphasized that no fires have been reported as a result of this issue. Dealers will resolve the problem by installing a software update to prevent the starter from overloading. Vehicle owners are urged to check if their car is affected by visiting their local dealers for the necessary software update once they receive their notification.