1:27 pm, February 12, 2026
BMW is recalling nearly 25,000 cars in the UK over a potential fire risk caused by defective starter motors, with owners being told not to leave their cars unattended with the engine running.
The German carmaker has identified starter motors that could short-circuit, which could in turn lead to the unit overheating and causing a fire.
Some 575,000 cars are being recalled worldwide, with 24,732 affected in the UK.
The recall affects a wide spectrum of models built between July 2020 and July 2022, and comprises the 2 Series, 3 Series, 4 Series, 5 Series, 6 Series Gran Turismo, 7 Series, X3, X4, X5, X6 and Z4.
BMW advises that any fires would at first be noticed because of a smell of smoke when driving or walking away from the vehicle. Owners are being advised to not leave their vehicles unattended with the engine running.
A BMW spokesperson 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.’
Owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by BMW via letter, while those who are concerned if their car has been affected can utilise BMW’s online recall checker.
