BMW of North America has identified a problem that affects no less than 105,588 vehicles produced for the U.S. market. In fact, the engine start software does not prevent the starter from being electrically overloaded.
First, a faulty starter motor means that the engine cannot be restarted. Second, the proximity of the starter motor to the soundproofing material could also lead to a thermal event. After several reports of non-start conditions and localized thermal damage, BMW of North America safety engineers began investigating in March 2023.
Subsequent revisions have revealed specific production configurations for the engine starter. Instead of replacing the starter, the U.S. division of the Bavarian automaker will update the engine starter software to prevent electrical overloads.
The affected vehicles were produced for the 2019 to 2021 model years, starting with the 2020 BMW 3 Series Sedan M340i and M340i xDrive. The remainder includes the 2020 BMW 8 Series Coupe and Gran Coupe in the 840i and 840i xDrive variants, the 8 Series Convertible, the 740i and 740i xDrive and the 40i models of the X5, X6 and X7 lineups.
As you might have guessed by now, the X5 population dwarfs all other models. The sDrive40i and xDrive40i models are affected by 68,105 units, with production dates ranging from August 1, 2018 to May 31, 2020. The sporty utility vehicles come from the BMW Group plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, while the 3er is assembled at Planta San Luis Potosi in Mexico. As for the 7er and 8er, they are made in Germany at the BMW Group Werk Dingolfing.
Photo: BMW
The easiest way for owners to determine if a vehicle has been recalled is to run the 17-character VIN on the automaker's recall portal. Likewise, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also offers a VIN lookup tool. Dealers have already been instructed to update engine start software at no cost to affected customers, with notifications to owners being mailed no later than September 23.
According to BMW of North America’s Q2 2024 sales release in early July, the X5 is the group’s most popular model with 33,600 deliveries to its name in the U.S. market. The X6 and X7 are listed with 3,733 and 14,351 units, respectively, for the midyear period.
The 3 Series Sedan has sold 14,137 units year-to-date, while the 7 Series and 8 Series have failed to do better than 5,138 and 2,875 deliveries. While you might expect the 3 Series to lead the way in passenger vehicle sales, that’s not the case. Believe it or not, the 4 Series is BMW’s most popular passenger vehicle in the United States.
All told, the BMW brand delivered 175,712 vehicles in the first half of 2024, a small improvement over the 170,414 sales it reported for the first half of 2023. Audi totaled 92,913 units, while Mercedes topped BMW with 178,219 sales. Of that total, vans accounted for 26,987 deliveries.