BMW recalls more than 720,000 cars due to electric water pump defect

On Tuesday, BMW announced it is recalling it is recalling 720,796 vehicles in North America due to an issue with the water pump’s electrical connector that may short circuit as a result of faulty installation, posing a fire hazard.

According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report, the impacted vehicles have water pumps with insufficient sealing, and may be susceptible to fluid ingress at the electrical plug connector over time. There is the possibility that a short circuit could occur, and there’s the potential for a fire, in rare cases.

Recall documents posted by the NHTSA read that “an improperly sealed electrical connector on the water pump may be exposed to water and short circuit .. specifically, blowby-liquid from the positive crankcase ventilation system may collect on the intake air hose, eventually drip onto the plug connector .. this could increase the risk of a thermal event and, in rare cases, a fire.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that the recall applies to the following BMW models:

BMW 228XI 2014-2016
BMW 328I 2012-2016
BMW 328XI 2012-2016
BMW 428I 2014-2016
BMW 428XI 2015-2016
BMW 528I 2012-2016
BMW X1 2012-2015
BMW X3 2013-2017
BMW X4 2015-2018
BMW X5 2016-2018
BMW Z4 2012-2016

Notification letters will be mailed to vehicle owners on October 4, where they will be instructed to take their cars to an authorized BMW center  where water pumps and plug connectors will be inspected and replaced as necessary for free. Per the recall report, a shield will be also installed to divert any fluid that might drop down onto the pump from the positive crankcase ventilation system’s intake air house.  Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW’s number for the recall is “24V-608.” Owners can also contact NHTSA’s safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (toll-free at 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.nhtsa.gov for further information.

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