BMW recalls more than half a million cars due to fire risk

German automotive manufacturer BMW will be recalling more than half a million cars worldwide due to a potential risk of engine starters sparking a fire.

In an official statement shared with Sgcarmart, BMW Group stated that "product controls and customer complaints have shown that in the identified vehicles the starter motor in could become defective. The magnetic switch in the starter establishes the electrical connection during the starting process. 

Due to production influences, a high number of start operations can lead to increased wear in the magnetic switch. This leads to a deterioration in the ability of engine starting. As a result, the vehicle's engine may no longer be able to start at all."

Adding on, the brand also noted that "a short circuit in the magnetic switch cannot be ruled out. Consequently, this may cause local overheating in the starter. In the worst case, this can lead to a vehicle fire during vehicle operation. In such a case, smoke may be seen or smelt during driving or when exiting the vehicle."

As a consequence of the defect, BMW recommends not leaving the vehicle unattended with the engine running after starting the engine — especially after remote engine start.

Based on information shared by BMW Group Asia, the affected models in Singapore include the 2 Series Coupe (G42), 3 Series Sedan (G20), 3 Series Touring (G21), 4 Series Coupe (G22), 4 Series Convertible (G23), 4 Series Gran Coupe (G26), 5 Series Sedan (G30), 5 Series Touring (G31), 6 Series Gran Turismo (G32), 7 Series Sedan (G12), X3 (G01), X4 (G02), X5 (G05), X6 (G06), and the Z4 (G29).

And as for what sort of repairs or fixes that will be implemented for the recalled cars in the Singapore, BMW Group Asia has said that for all potentially affected vehicles, the starter must be replaced. 

In some vehicles, the vehicle battery will also be replaced by one adopted to the new starter. The duration of the repair varies depending on the vehicle type and can take up to two hours.

Moving forward from now, the two authorised BMW dealerships in Singapore, BMW Eurokars Auto and Performance Motors Limited, are currently in the process of reaching out to its respective customers. A total of 2,303 locally-based BMW vehicles are currently part of this safety recall.

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This article was first published in sgCarMart.