BMW AG has recently announced a safety concern affecting a limited number of battery packs installed in certain vehicles.
Specifically, an issue with the laser welding process connecting the cell contacting system to the cell terminal has been identified, potentially leading to disconnection and subsequent overheating of the battery module.
Discovered during a quality check on February 12, BMW initiated an engineering investigation into the matter, focusing on battery modules bearing part number 8863448.
As a precautionary measure, a stop-ship order and dealer hold were implemented for affected vehicles, including a small number of i5 and i4 models in the United States.
Subsequent findings revealed that several modules with inadequate weld seams had not been replaced during the assembly process, prompting BMW to issue a safety recall for all potentially impacted vehicles.
Although no complaints or field reports related to this issue have been reported thus far, BMW remains committed to ensuring the safety and reliability of its vehicles.
The recall encompasses i5 eDrive40 models manufactured on December 7 of the previous year, as well as i4 models produced between September 23, 2023, and February 5, 2024, including the M50 and xDrive40 variants.
Affected vehicles will undergo battery module replacement to address the identified safety concern and maintain optimal performance.