The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Friday, November 13, urged the owners of 720,796 BMW vehicles in the United States to park outside and away from buildings and other vehicles until a recall repair is completed, because a defect can cause a fire even while the car is parked and switched off.

Source: Reuters via KTWB

BMW said on Friday it is recalling the 720,796 vehicles, from the 2012 to 2018 model years, under NHTSA campaign 26V733 (full number 26V733000). The agency's instruction is a parking instruction, not a do-not-drive order: owners should keep the vehicle out of a garage and away from structures until the remedy is done.

What is wrong with the cars

NHTSA said an improperly sealed electrical connector on the water pump may be exposed to water and short-circuit, increasing the risk of a fire. The water pump moves coolant through the engine, and on these vehicles its electrical connector sits where fluid can reach it if the seal fails.

Source: NHTSA consumer alert, via Johnson's Auto Repair summary

The NHTSA recall report estimates that only about 0.1 percent of the recalled vehicles — possibly even fewer — actually have the defect, according to Autoblog's reading of the report. That low estimated rate does not change the parking advice, because the reported incidents involve fire risk in a parked, switched-off vehicle.

Source: Autoblog

Why a second recall for the same pump

These vehicles were already recalled in 2024, under campaign 24V608, for a water-pump issue. In that recall BMW installed a protective shield meant to divert residual fluid away from the pump's electrical connector, and in some cases the pump and wiring harness were replaced, Autoblog reported.

The problem returned anyway. Autoblog reported a non-US incident in April 2025 in which a BMW 5 Series that had received the 2024 fix showed the same symptoms, with connectors becoming brittle, and a US-market 3 Series that 'experienced smoldering' at the water pump's electrical connector a couple of months later, again after the earlier remedy. BMW said it is aware of 10 fire incidents that may be related to the issue and occurred after vehicles were repaired under the 2024 recall, Reuters reported. After months of analysis, including laboratory tests and an outside expert, BMW decided to issue the new voluntary recall superseding the old one.

Which models are on the list

The list covers 14 model groups: 2012-2016 3 Series sedan (236,702 vehicles, the largest group), 2013-2017 X3 (163,728), 2012-2016 5 Series (110,102), 2012-2015 X1 (62,954), 2014-2016 4 Series coupe (29,693), 2015-2016 4 Series Gran Coupe (23,790), 2014-2016 4 Series convertible (20,082), 2016-2018 X5 xDrive40e (14,808), 2015-2018 X4 (14,061), 2014-2016 2 Series coupe (12,742), 2014-2016 328xi Gran Turismo (12,709), 2015-2016 2 Series convertible (6,824), 2012-2016 Z4 (6,621) and 2014-2016 3 Series Sportswagon (5,980). Model and year alone do not prove a specific car is included — the vehicle identification number (VIN) does.

What happens next

The remedy is still in development and, when it is ready, dealers will perform it at no charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed starting December 25, 2026, and affected VINs and licence plate numbers will be searchable at nhtsa.gov/recalls beginning the same day. Owners who bought a car used should not rely on a letter reaching them — they should check the VIN themselves once the search opens, and check again if nothing appears at first, because VINs are added continuously.

For Punjabi and other diaspora families in the US who run an older BMW as a family or commuter car, the immediate step costs nothing: move it out of the garage tonight, leave space around it, and note the December 25 VIN-check date. Reporting in this story is attributed to NHTSA, BMW's statements to Reuters, and Autoblog's reading of the recall report; no crashes or injuries linked to the defect were reported in the Reuters account.