US urges 720,796 BMW owners to park outside over fire risk

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urged owners of 720,796 BMW vehicles in the United States to park outside and away from buildings on Friday, because a water pump electrical connector can short circuit and start a fire even with the car parked and off.

Why it matters: The vehicles were already recalled in 2024 for the same water pump problem and must be repaired again, BMW knows of about 10 fire incidents on cars that received the first fix, and no new remedy is ready yet.

Data as of Reuters report of November 13, 2026 and AutoGuide report of the same day, both read in full in this run, reporting NHTSA recall campaign 26V733000, filed November 4, 2026. All figures are NHTSA's and BMW's as reported. Developing item.

BMW is recalling 720,796 vehicles in the United States because an improperly sealed electrical connector on the water pump may be exposed to water and short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire while the car is parked and turned off, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Friday. The agency told owners to park outside and away from buildings and other vehicles until the repair is completed, and the campaign, number 26V733000, replaces the 2024 recall 24V608 for the same issue, so owners whose cars were fixed under the first recall must return for the new remedy.

The recall covers 2012 to 2016 3 Series and 5 Series cars, the Z4, X1, X3 and X4, several 2 Series and 4 Series variants and the 2016 to 2018 X5 xDrive40e. BMW said it is still developing the fix, is aware of about 10 fire incidents that may relate to the problem and that occurred after vehicles were repaired under the 2024 recall, and expects owner notification letters and VIN lookups on NHTSA.gov to start on December 25, 2026.

US urges 720,796 BMW owners to park outside over fire risk

Sources