BMW Recalls 720,796 Cars, Tells Owners Park Outside

BMW is recalling 720,796 vehicles in the United States, and the federal safety agency's advice comes before the repair does. In a consumer alert issued Friday, November 13, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told owners to park the cars outside and away from buildings and other vehicles until the recall remedy is completed. The risk is a fire in a car that's parked and turned off.

The defect is small and specific. An improperly sealed electrical connector on the water pump may be exposed to water and short circuit, the NHTSA record says, and a short circuit raises the risk of a fire. BMW's safety report, received by NHTSA on November 4, names the pump's supplier as Peirburg Pump Technology GmbH of Germany. The campaign is NHTSA recall 26V-733.

These cars have been through this before. They were recalled in 2024 under campaign 24V608 for a water pump problem, and the new recall replaces that one. Cars that already got the 2024 fix still need the new one. BMW is aware of about 10 incidents in the United States that relate, or may relate, to the problem, and the reported incidents happened on cars that had already received the earlier repair. The company isn't aware of any crashes or injuries tied to it.

The list is long because the part lived in a lot of cars. It covers certain 2012-2016 3 Series, 5 Series and Z4 models, 2012-2015 X1s, 2013-2017 X3s, 2015-2016 4 Series Gran Coupes and 2 Series Convertibles, 2014-2016 328xi Gran Turismos, 2 Series Coupes, 4 Series Convertibles, 3 Series Coupes and 3 Series Sportswagons, 2015-2018 X4s, and 2016-2018 X5 xDrive40e models.

There's no fix to book yet. The remedy is still under development, and when it's ready, dealers will perform it free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed beginning December 25, 2026, and affected vehicle identification numbers will be searchable on NHTSA.gov the same day. Owners can call BMW's recall hotline at 800-525-7417 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.

The practical order for owners doesn't wait for December. If your BMW sits in the model years above, park it outside now and keep it clear of structures. The letter and the VIN lookup confirm whether a specific car is in the campaign. The parking advice applies in the meantime.

The 2024 recall shows why a second campaign became necessary. That fix dealt with fluid from the positive crankcase ventilation system that could reach the pump's connector. The incidents BMW has counted since then, about 10 in the United States, happened on cars that had already been repaired under the 2024 campaign. A repair that doesn't hold isn't a remedy, and NHTSA's new campaign is the formal admission of that.

Park-outside recalls are uncommon, and agencies reserve them for defects that can act up without a driver present. An electrical short in a parked car fits that description. Owners don't need to stop driving the cars, and NHTSA hasn't issued a do-not-drive order. The instruction is narrower: change where the car sleeps until BMW's engineers finish the replacement fix.