BMW recalls over 330,000 cars after finding engine fire risk

The company didn’t give a global figure for the recall or the cost of the repairs.

BMW AG is recalling at least 331,000 vehicles due to a defect in its starter motor, another setback for the German carmaker after a costly recall last year.

The fault — where the engine starter may catch fire due to possible corrosion — affects most model lines built between 2015 and 2021.

The German manufacturer will need to repair 195,000 vehicles in the US and a further 136,000 in Germany, it said Friday. The company didn’t give a global figure for the recall or the cost of the repairs.

The fault is another blow for BMW, adding to a recall last year of 1.5 million cars due to defective braking systems made by Continental AG. The spiraling cost of fixing those flaws led the company to issue a profit warning.

In the latest recall, water can leak into the starter motor of affected vehicles and cause corrosion, BMW said. This can eventually result in a short circuit, which could lead to a vehicle fire “in the worst case.” Affected customers should park their vehicles outdoors, at a safe distance from buildings, until the repair is carried out, the company said.

Repairs will free of charge and it will replace the starter motor and battery in a “low number of vehicles.”