BMW has confirmed a major global safety recall after discovering that a faulty starter system can cause engine fires. The company is pulling back a mid-six-figure number of vehicles worldwide, including about 575,000 cars linked to the defect, making this one of its largest recent safety campaigns. The move is more than a one-off repair; it is a test of how a premium brand manages a widespread problem in modern car electronics.
The recall reaches into popular model lines and key markets, from Germany to the United States, and covers everything from daily commuter sedans to the Z4 sports car. At the center is a small electric part that should start the engine but can instead overheat and, in rare cases, ignite nearby material. BMW now has to show it can fix the fault quickly and keep drivers safe.
How big this recall really is
BMW Group has said it will recall a global fleet in the “mid-six-figure” range, meaning several hundred thousand cars rather than a small batch. Reports on the company’s filings explain that roughly 575,000 vehicles are tied to the starter defect and possible fire risk, underscoring the scale. This is not a minor production glitch; it is a problem built into a large slice of BMW’s recent output, including cars produced from mid‑2020 onward.
The company has confirmed that 28,582 cars in Germany are affected, according to a detailed breakdown of the. Other coverage notes that 16 different models are involved, showing that the starter issue is spread across a wide portfolio rather than a single niche product. Adding up the numbers from Europe, North America, and other regions, the global total lands in the same mid‑six‑figure band BMW itself has cited.
The starter fault behind the fire risk
The defect centers on an engine starter that can overheat and, in the worst case, catch fire. In simple terms, the device that should spin the engine to life can instead become a strong heat source. If that heat builds up, nearby plastic parts or wiring can burn. Most cars will only show starting trouble, but a small number face a real fire risk if the fault is not fixed.
In filings shared with US regulators, summaries from NHTSA say the starter can overheat because of internal wear, especially in the magnetic switch that controls high current. As that switch wears down, it can create electrical resistance, which turns into heat. Other technical descriptions add that, in some cars, water can get into the relay area, which can also lead to overheating. Both paths end at the same danger point: too much heat in a tight engine compartment.
Which cars are affected worldwide
BMW has not yet posted a full public list of every model, but several details are clear. A widely shared radio report on states that about 575,000 cars are being called back due to fire risk and that the campaign includes the Z4 sports car. The same report notes that early signs of trouble can be a starter that struggles or fails, but the deeper concern is the small number of cases where overheating in the starter assembly leads to a fire.
Other coverage explains that the recall targets 16 different BMW models and that the affected cars were built between July 2020 and 2022. An announcement on affected notes that “hundreds of thousands” of vehicles from that period are being recalled because of the starter and relay issue. Across this group, the total global count lines up with BMW’s own description of a mid‑six‑figure recall.
Conflicting theories on what is going wrong
One unusual part of this case is that even official and semi‑official accounts do not fully agree on what is failing inside the starter. In the US, documents shared with regulators and then summarized by specialist BMW outlets say the engine starter can overheat due to internal wear, and more specifically that wear in the magnetic switch can raise temperatures. That version points to a design or materials problem inside the unit itself, where normal use slowly degrades the contact surfaces.
By contrast, an announcement on social stresses that the component is vulnerable to corrosion from water intrusion, and that this corrosion can lead the relay to overheat. These two explanations are hard to merge, so it is likely that both failure paths exist. In wet climates, water and corrosion may be the main trigger; in drier areas, simple wear in the magnetic switch may dominate. That mix helps explain why BMW chose a broad global recall instead of a narrow fix for only certain regions.
How BMW is responding and what owners can expect
BMW has confirmed that it will carry out a global recall affecting a mid‑six‑figure number of cars and will notify owners by mail. In Germany, the company has already identified 28,582 affected vehicles, showing that it is working with local authorities to match VIN lists and send notices. Reports from Europe mention internal campaign codes such as 698 and 013, which BMW uses to track recall work inside dealer systems.
In the United States, filings cited by BMW‑focused analysts state that 87,394 cars are being recalled over starter overheating and fire risk. Those same documents say BMW will replace the starter part free of charge and that owner letters are expected to begin in March 2026. Based on these filings, BMW dealers will log each repair under internal action numbers, and some reports mention that service bulletins reference figures like 73, 60, and 08 to describe inspection steps and labor codes.
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*This article was researched with the help of AI, with human editors creating the final content.
