US regulator tells 720,000 BMW owners to park outdoors over fire risk

What owners are being told

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is urging owners of 720,796 BMW vehicles to keep their cars parked outdoors, away from buildings and other vehicles, until a repair is carried out. BMW announced the recall on Friday, 13 November, citing a fire hazard that arises when the cars are parked with their engines switched off. The warning is aimed at owners in the United States, and the affected cars are model years 2012 to 2018. For now, the only instruction for owners is to keep the vehicle outside while they wait for a remedy.

The agency's consumer alert put the instruction in direct terms.

“you should park your vehicle outside and away from buildings and other vehicles until the vehicle is repaired”

The defect and the earlier recall

The problem sits in an electrical connector on the water pump, which is not sealed well enough to keep out moisture. When water reaches the connector, it can short circuit and raise the risk of a fire. The same vehicles were recalled in 2024 over a water pump problem, and they now need a second repair. BMW has identified 10 fire incidents that may be connected to the defect, all of them in cars that had already been through the 2024 recall service. So far no injuries or damage have been reported, and NHTSA said no crashes have been reported either.

Models, timing and remedy

The recall covers 14 models, including the 3 Series, 5 Series, X1, X3, X4, X5 xDrive40e and Z4, plus several 2 Series and 4 Series variants. The vehicles range across sedans, coupes, convertibles, wagons, roadsters and SUVs. A repair is still under development, and BMW has not yet made one available to owners. Letters to owners are expected to be mailed starting 25 December 2026, and from the same date affected vehicle identification numbers and license plate numbers will be searchable on NHTSA.gov/Recalls. Owners with questions can call BMW's recall hotline at 800-525-7417 or NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.

BMW's wider position

BMW did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the warning. Bloomberg reports that the company is seeking to cut costs and overhaul its management ranks as it faces growing competition from Chinese automakers. In early November, BMW trimmed its profit outlook and laid out plans to increase production of its next-generation models to protect profitability in the coming years. The recall adds a new obligation for owners of these older models while the company works on the remedy.