BMW Discovers Fire Risk in Starter System, Recalls Hundreds of Thousands of Vehicles Worldwide

On February 13th, the China Xinhua News Facebook page revealed that BMW, the German car manufacturer, has announced a worldwide vehicle recall affecting hundreds of thousands of cars after discovering a technical flaw that could potentially cause fire risks. While not disclosing exact numbers, BMW confirmed 28,582 vehicles in Germany are impacted, with local industry media suggesting the figure could reach up to 575,000 vehicles. The report indicates the problem originates in the starter system, where repeated engine starts could cause switch wear leading to potential short-circuiting. This defect might trigger fires during vehicle operation in certain cases. The recall includes BMW Series 2, 3, 4, and 5 models produced between July 2020 and July 2022. Previously in September 2025, BMW had recalled over 130,000 vehicles in Germany and 200,000 in the United States due to similar starter system fire risks.