There’s a potentially severe issue with several BMW models produced for the 2012-2018 model years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that 720,796 Bimmers are being recalled (NHTSA recall number 26V733) due to a potential short circuit that increases the risk of a fire. Therefore, the NHTSA advises owners to park their vehicles “outside and away from structures” while BMW figures out how to fix the problem. Unfortunately, owners will be stuck with the potential hazard for a while yet, as notification letters are only expected to be sent next month. Let’s see which vehicles are affected before exploring why BMW doesn’t have a fix ready yet.
Massive Recall Hits BMWs Across Multiple Model Lines
BMW
The NHTSA recall report says that only 0.1 percent (possibly even less) of the 720,796 recalled vehicles are estimated to have the issue, but it’s still a serious recall. Frustratingly for both BMW and owners, this announcement comes after the automaker already recalled vehicles for the same problem (NHTSA recall number 24V608). In 2024, BMW recalled vehicles to install a protective shield that was designed to divert residual fluid from the engine’s PSV system’s air intake hose, fluid that may touch the water pump’s electrical connector. In some cases, both the pump and the wire harness with connectors were replaced. However, a non-USDM incident occurred in April 2025, where despite having received the attempted fix, a BMW 5 Series exhibited the same potentially fire-causing symptoms, with connectors becoming brittle and potentially exposed to a short circuit. A couple of months later, an American-market 3 Series “experienced smoldering” at the water pump’s electrical connector, again despite the recall remedy having been performed.
Related: BMW Alpina 7 Series Will Offer Both V8 and Electric Power
After months of analysis, including laboratory tests like differential scanning calorimetry (examining how heat affects materials) and the hiring of an external expert, BMW eventually decided to issue a new voluntary recall (superseding the old one) out of an abundance of caution. No injuries or serious fires have been reported, but a lot of different vehicles are affected. Those are listed below, with the number of potentially involved vehicles in parentheses.
BMW models listed in NHTSA recall 26V733
- 2015-2016 4 Series Gran Coupe (23,790)
- 2014-2016 BMW 328xi Gran Turismo (12,709)
- 2014-2016 BMW 4 Series Convertible (20,082)
- 2014-2016 BMW 4 Series Coupe (29,693)
- 2014-2016 BMW 3 Series Sportswagon (5,980)
- 2012-2016 BMW 3 Series Sedan (236,702)
- 2015-2018 BMW X4 (14,061)
- 2013-2017 BMW X3 (163,728)
- 2015-2016 BMW 2 Series Convertible (6,824)
- 2014-2016 BMW 2 Series Coupe (12,742)
- 2016-2018 BMW X5 xDrive40e PHEV (14,808)
- 2012-2016 BMW 5 Series (110,102)
- 2012-2016 BMW Z4 (6,621)
- 2012-2015 BMW X1 (62,954)
Final Thoughts
David Gluckman/Autoblog
It sounds like, while the potential worst-case scenario is serious, the likelihood of a fire occurring is relatively low. That said, it’s best to follow the advice to park outside until BMW says a fix is ready. Letters are expected to be sent out on or around December 25, and dealers are already being prepared to perform the fix. Hopefully, this will be the last time this issue appears in these cars.
