BMW Recalls Over 720,000 Cars for Water Pump Wiring That Can Catch Fire

It might seem ironic that water pumps can potentially cause fires under the hoods of hundreds of thousands of BMWs until you learn that the water pumps themselves aren’t actually causing the fires. On August 13, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a recall campaign for 720,796 BMWs in North America for water pumps with wiring that could be leaked on, causing short circuits and, in some cases, fires.

Per BMW’s safety recall report, the problem stems from blow-by-liquid from the positive crankcase ventilation system, which can drip liquid onto the plug connector that may not be properly sealed. According to BMW, over time, that fluid can leak into the plug and potentially short-circuit the wiring. “This could increase the risk of a thermal event and, in rare cases, a fire,” said BMW in the NHTSA report.

The fix for this is pretty simple. BMW dealer technicians will inspect the water pump and its plug connector to see if it has any damage. If so, the water pump will be replaced. In either case, a small shield will be installed that will keep any liquid from dripping onto the plug, preventing any future damage. And if any BMW owner had the water pump replaced due to plug damage at their own expense prior to the recall notice, they could be eligible for reimbursement. Considering the sheer number of potentially involved vehicles, that number might be significant.

There are 14 different BMWs involved in the recall, from model years 2012 to 2018. Essentially, any vehicle that used BMW’s N20 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. If your 2012-2018 BMW’s model name ends in “28i,” it’s probably part of this recall. However, the 3 Series makes up the biggest portion of the campaign as it’s BMW’s bread-and-butter model, with 236,702 examples involved.

This recall is another mechanical thorn in the side of BMW’s N20 engine, which was the culprit for a different massive recall, regarding faulty timing chains. After 2018, most four-cylinder BMWs switched to its newer B48 engine, which seems to have fewer issues. Owners will be notified by mail if their car has to be brought in.

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