BMW issues third recall for 900,000 cars that could catch fire

BMW is recalling 917,106 cars to address an ongoing fire hazard that has already prompted two previous safety campaigns. These cars are equipped with an emissions-control device — a Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve heater — that can short-circuit, leading to malfunctions and potentially even fires. 

“Affected vehicles are equipped with a PCV valve that incorporates a heating element consisting of a copper tube, continuously supplied by electrical current, and a Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) element, known as the PCV valve heater (blow-by-heater),” BMW said in its defect report. “The electrical contacts at the copper tube, and the tube itself, are coated with a plastic material. Irregularities in the manufacturing process at the supplier could lead to cavities in the area of the electrical contacts, and near the PTC element at the copper tube, which could allow moisture to occur and could lead to a short circuit.”

Warning signs of a malfunction include an illuminated maintenance indicator on the dash and the appearance or smell of smoke. While the “check engine” light alone is not cause for immediate alarm, BMW says drivers should immediately find a safe place to pull over and shut off/exit their vehicles if they see or smell smoke. No injuries have been reported to BMW, but there’s no good reason to fool around with fire.

This is BMW’s third crack at this campaign, which was originally launched in 2017 to address the issue in cars from model year 2007 to 2010; in 2019, BMW added roughly 185,000 cars from the 2006 model year. Apparently, neither campaign quite got it done, and the repaired or replacement hardware will likely need to be addressed once again. 

The number of individual models subject to the campaign is difficult to wrangle, but if you own a 2006-2011 model of any of the following, your car may be included:

E82 (1 Series Coupe)
E88 (1 Series Convertible)
E90 (3 Series Sedan)
E91 (3 Series Wagon)
E92 (3 Series Coupe)
E93 (3 Series Convertible)
E60 (5 Series Sedan)
E61 (5 Series Wagon)
F10 (5 Series Sedan)
E83 (X3)
F25 (X3)
E70 (X5)
E85 (Z4 Roadster)
E89 (Z4 Roadster)
E86 (Z4 Coupe)