BMW is recalling 105,558 crossovers and sedans in the U.S. and will issue a software update to fix concerns related to a starter motor that can overheat, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Thursday.
The recall affects various models, including some X5, X7, 3 and 7 Series models.
In the event the starter motor fails, repeated attempts to start the vehicle can cause the starter motor to overheat from an electrical overload,” the NHTSA said.
According to the auto safety regulator, dealers will update the vehicle software for free, with owner notification letters expected to be mailed later in September.
Stock prices for the car giant, the ninth-largest producer of motor vehicles in the world, fell slightly following the release of the news.
It comes just a month after BMW was forced to recall nearly 400,000 cars whose airbags could’ve exploded when deployed in crashes, potentially sending shards of metal flying into drivers and passengers.
This could lead to serious injury or even death.
According to NHTSA documents published last month, replaced steering wheels on affected BMWs may have gas inflators that use ammonium nitrate, which over time could lead to ‘overly aggressive combustion.’
In the event of an inflator rupture, metal fragments could pass through the air bag cushion material, which may result in injury or death to vehicle occupants,’ BMW admitted in the recall report.
BMW, which in 2022 produced more than two million cars, said that no deaths or injuries had been reported in connection with the airbag issue.
Separately, Stellantis, the parent company of Fiat, announced that a further 300,000 vehicles are being recalled due to the same airbag failure.
The Stellantis cars suffer from a different issue relating to an improperly connected seat belt buckle censor.
This faulty connection can prevent the air bag from deploying.
