BMW Recalls More Than 105,000 Vehicles For Risk of a Starter Motor-Related ‘Thermal Event’

BMW's received several reports of no-start conditions due to damaged starter motors

2020 BMW X5 M Competition
(Images: TFL Studios)

BMW is recalling several 2019-2021 models over concerns related to starter motors.

On Thursday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published details of BMW’s decision to recall 105,558 for a potential issues owners could face from an overheating starter motor. The recall impacts the following models:

  • 2019-2020 X5 and X7 SUVs
  • 2020 3 Series sedans and X6 SUVs
  • 2020-2021 7 Series sedans
  • 2020 8 Series coupe, convertible and Gran Coupe (four-door) models

“In certain cases in which the engine starter has some mechanical damage, the engine may not be able to be started,” the company told safety regulators in its report. In rare instances where owners make long starting attempts, the starter motor may suffer an electrical overload and overheat. BMW says that problem coupled with contaminants like oil on adjacent acoustic material near the starter motor could lead to what the automaker, perhaps euphemistically, calls a ‘thermal event’.

At this point, BMW says it is not aware of any actual fires from this problem, nor is it aware of any accidents or injuries. The company received a dozen customer complaints relating to damaged starter motors through June 2024.

BMW’s fix for the issue is a software update that will prevent the engine starter from being electrically overloaded from repeated, long-duration restart attempts. At this time, at least, this specific recall does not include actually replacing potentially damaged starter motors that are responsible for vehicles suffering no-start conditions in the first place.

Dealers should already be aware of the issue, while BMW plans to notify affected customers by mail on September 23, 2024.