BMW, a premium automotive manufacturer, recently initiated a substantial recall campaign, affecting a vast majority of its diesel model series from 2021 and 2022, as a consequence of a potential fire hazard.

Causes of the Recall

The root cause of this recall lies in the malfunctioning of the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) coolers, a key component of these diesel models. The defect can lead to the leakage of glycol coolant, which, when combined with accumulated soot and high temperatures, can potentially ignite, posing a severe risk.

The Extent of the Problem

The recall campaign has a worldwide impact, affecting approximately 800,000 vehicles, including diesel models from the one to seven series, as well as the X1, X3, X4, and X5. The engines affected are N47, N57 and B47 diesels.

Previous Attempts at Rectification

BMW has previously attempted to rectify the issue, however, these efforts proved inadequate as instances of EGR cooler leakage and the rare but dangerous occurrence of vehicle fires persisted.

Remedial Action

As a response to the situation, BMW has developed an optimized cooler unit, that has been in use since 2022. This unit reportedly comes from a different supplier than the problematic parts of the past.

Oversight by Motor Transport Authority

The Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has increased its scrutiny over the recall process, extending its focus to include non-safety-related products.

Affected Owners and Recourse

Owners of the affected vehicles are being directly contacted by BMW for workshop visits to address the fire risk.

Implications for the North American Market

In 2021, BMW USA recalled 50,404 vehicles equipped with an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) module with an integrated cooler. The models included were:

• Model year 2013-2018 328d, 328d xDrive,
• Model year 2014-2018 328d Sports Wagon, 328d xDrive Sports Wagon,
• Model year 2014-2016 535d, 535d xDrive,
• Model year 2015 740Ld xDrive,
• Model year 2015-2017 X3 xDrive28d SAV, and
• Model year2014-2017 X5 xDrive35d SAV diesel.