If you bought a BMW plug-in hybrid in the past few months, pay attention to this recall.
BMW and Mini instigated a recall covering the majority of its plug-in models built in 2020 due to a fire risk. The issue covers a total 4,509 U.S.-market vehicles that may have contaminated lithium-ion battery packs. Documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describe debris that somehow entered the cells during the manufacturing process. Such debris can cause a short-circuit while charging the pack, increasing the risk of a fire.
Affected models include 2021 BMW 330e models (shown below), as well as the X5 xDrive45e and 745Le xDrive. The recall further extends to 2020 and 2021 models of the BMW 530e, X3 xDrive30e, Mini Countryman SE and the BMW i8. BMW’s engineers are currently working to rectify the problem, but do not have a solution at time of writing.
Until BMW does announce a solution, it is telling owners not to charge their vehicles. On top of that, they are also asking drivers not to drive the car in manual mode or sport mode, and not to use the shift paddles. Recall repairs are expected to begin on November 23, 2020. Globally, the issue affects 26,700 vehicles.
