BMW Tells Owners of 29,000 Plug-In Hybrids: Park Outside Due to Fire Risk

BMW is asking owners of nearly 30,000 plug-in hybrid sedans to park outside and away from structures after discovering a starter relay defect that could cause a fire, even when the car is turned off. The recall covers 29,119 vehicles from the 2016 to 2020 model years, specifically the 330e, 530e, and 740Le xDrive iPerformance models.

The problem: water can sneak into the starter's electrical relay, corrode it, and create a short circuit that may lead to what BMW calls a "thermal event", its polite term for a fire.

This isn't the first time BMW has dealt with this issue. Last September, the automaker recalled roughly 196,000 gasoline-powered 3, 4, X3, and X4 Series models, plus the Toyota Supra, for the same starter corrosion problem. But that campaign skipped the plug-in hybrids. BMW says it kept watching service data and spotted the same failure showing up in PHEVs that weren't included the first time.

After testing 150 returned starters earlier this year and seeing two new incident reports, a 2019 5 Series in November and a 2017 3 Series in May, the company decided to expand the recall. 1% of the recalled cars are likely to experience the issue. Still, that's not a risk worth taking, hence the advice to park outdoors.

The fix is straightforward: a redesigned starter motor installed at no charge. Owners who already paid out of pocket for a replacement can request reimbursement from BMW. Notification letters go out August 28, and that's also when owners can check their vehicle identification number (VIN) on BMW's website or the NHTSA recall portal.

Until then, anyone with a 330e, 530e, or 740Le xDrive from these years should assume their car is affected and park it outside, away from the house or garage. For more information, call BMW at 800-525-7417 or the NHTSA safety hotline at 888-327-4236.