BMW recalls a huge number of vehicles: what you need to know, how it affects you

BMW will recall 1 million vehicles worldwide at risk of short circuit that could cause an engine fire.

The new recall involves vehicles built between 2006 and 2013, including some 1 Series, 3 Series, X3, 5 Series, X5 and Z4 models.

The luxury brand will recall 1.03 million vehicles worldwide for potential fire hazards, said the carmaker, the third recall for this reason in 2017.

Vehicle heaters for crankcase positive ventilation valve or PCV may be short-circuited and, in extremely rare cases, may increase the risk of fire.

The recall includes 917,106 vehicles in the United States, 98,000 in Canada and 18,000 in South Korea, BMW said. It replaces and expands BMW recalls in 2017 and 2019, which involved 740,000 and 184,000 vehicles in the US, respectively.

The German manufacturer must repair these vehicles

Many vehicles repaired in previous recalls will need a new repair that is under development, BMW said, adding that the repair and a sufficient inventory of parts are expected by mid-2022.

BMW said some previously recalled vehicles are not covered by the new recall because they were produced with an improved PCV valve heater design.

The new recall was caused by a series of reports of fire in the aforementioned BMW vehicles that were repaired. BMW said its investigation showed that problems with suppliers’ production could lead to damage to the PCV valve heater in the field.

The carmaker said he was not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the last recall.

The German manufacturer said that owners should not stop driving while waiting to be recalled, but should stop driving if they see smoke in the area near the engine compartment or the smell of smoke or the smell of burnt plastic.