USA: BMW recalls nearly 30,000 US PHEVs over starter defect
According to documents filed with the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the recall specifically affects certain model-year 2016-2018 BMW 330e iPerformance, 2018-2020 BMW 530e iPerformance, 2018-2020 BMW 530e xDrive iPerformance and 2017-2019 BMW 740Le xDrive iPerformance vehicles. Owners have been advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the repair has been carried out.
The issue does not involve the vehicles’ high-voltage battery systems. Instead, BMW identified a potential problem with the electrical relay integrated into the engine starter. Water ingress can lead to corrosion within the relay, which may affect the electrical connection and the ability of the combustion engine to start.
In some cases, the corrosion can cause the relay to overheat and create a short circuit. “In an extreme case, this could cause a thermal event during vehicle operation or when the vehicle is parked and the ignition is off,” NHTSA states.
The manufacturer will replace the engine starter free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on 28 August 2026, and affected vehicle identification numbers (VINs) will become searchable through the NHTSA recall database on the same date.
BMW has not reported any crashes or injuries related to the issue. However, the company determined that the potential for overheating and fire warranted a safety recall.
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