BMW Group has announced a safety recall impacting 24,732 vehicles in the United Kingdom due to concerns that a faulty starter motor may overheat and, in rare instances, lead to a vehicle fire.
The campaign applies to multiple model lines produced between July 2020 and July 2022. Affected vehicles include the 2 Series, 3 Series, 4 Series, 5 Series, 6 Series Gran Turismo, 7 Series, X3, X4, X5, X6, and Z4.
The defect relates specifically to the starter motor assembly, which may be susceptible to a short circuit. If such a fault occurs, the component could overheat, creating a potential fire hazard.
BMW has indicated that drivers might initially detect the issue through the smell of smoke, either while operating the vehicle or after parking and exiting it.
As a precaution, owners of affected vehicles are advised not to leave their cars unattended while the engine is running.
A spokesperson for BMW told the PA news agency: “BMW Group issued a safety-related recall following quality controls which have shown that in the identified vehicles, the starter motor could become defective.
“This affects a range of BMW vehicles manufactured between July 2020 and July 2022. For the UK, this affects 24,732 cars and for Ireland, 197.”
According to BMWBlog, the recall developed from isolated field reports into a formal safety action.
BMW states that an engineering investigation commenced in September 2025 after field incidents involving starter motors showed evidence of thermal damage.
These cases were logged between October 2024 and March 2025 and involved a model year 2023 4 Series and a model year 2022 3 Series.
Following the initial findings, BMW initiated endurance bench testing designed to replicate a high volume of engine start cycles.
This was combined with teardown examinations of returned components and comprehensive reviews of assembly processes and service data.
By late November and early December, BMW reported identifying a pattern involving the accumulation of metallic debris within the electrical relay chamber.
The build-up, linked to increased abrasion, is understood to contribute to the overheating mechanism that regulators have now highlighted.
BMW confirmed that owners of affected vehicles will receive written notification inviting them to arrange a complete starter motor replacement at no cost.
Drivers who are uncertain whether their vehicle is included in the recall are encouraged to consult the company’s online recall checker for verification.
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