Nearly 300,000 Cars Recalled by Major Automaker

In the automotive world, large recalls are often down to some vehicle flaw that compromises the safety of drivers and passengers. One major vehicle manufacturer now faces the potential consequences of a recall of 291,000 defective cars.

There have been a few high-profile recalls like this recently. Tesla, for example, very recently issued a recall for over 1.8 million vehicles in America due to a risk of software failure.

This latest recall is likely unwelcome news for Tesla, who also recalled all of its Cybertrucks earlier this year in what was described as a “black eye” for the company by equity analyst Dan Ives.

This defect increases the risk of injury in such a crash. This means there is no choice but to recall potentially affected vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) identified a number of BMW models affected by the fault, namely some BMW X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X3 manufactured between 2018 and 2023.

The regulators say it could potentially become damaged in an “extreme rear crash,” which would likely cause the rail to detach from the vehicle, creating an increased risk of injury.

At the time, the vehicle owner retained legal counsel and details of the incident weren’t accessible. Eventually, BMW was served legal notices, allowing them to inspect the vehicle, carry out crash tests and review vehicle manufacturing.

This is not the first time BMW has had to initiate a recall. According to NHTSA data, BMW has recalled almost 780,000 vehicles this year over 17 recall notices.

Toward the start of the month, BMW recalled in excess of 390,000 vehicles equipped with previously recalled airbag inflators that had an increased risk of exploding in a collision.

Takata’s airbags have already caused a lot of documented harm to U.S. motorists. The airbags have killed at least 27 people and injured at least 400 others in the country, according to NHTSA data.

Following the recall of 390,000 vehicles at the start of July, BMW issued a further recall of another 1,000 cars just a week later, again due to the airbag inflators, including some Gran Coupe and Gran Turismo models.

The latest issue with some of the company’s models is a problem with the water pump’s electrical connector.

These models may have water pumps with insufficient sealing, according to the NHTSA report. These cars may be vulnerable to fluid building up at the electric plug connector over time.

In rare cases, this problem could cause a fire. The report said vehicle owners should receive a recall notification in October. Consumers will be instructed to take their cars to a BMW to have their water pumps and plug connectors inspected and potentially replaced for free.

The industry leader is also recalling electric Mini Cooper SE cars because of battery problems. This recall could affect vehicles from all over the world.

The recall could affect more than 140,000 vehicles across the globe, with 39,000 potentially needing to be returned in Germany. Fortunately, the company has not reported any accidents or injuries in this context.

BMW said in a statement yesterday: “A vehicle fire, even when the vehicle is parked, cannot be ruled out.”

The company called for customers who received this alert to visit a Mini dealership.

Mini has delayed some deliveries of its Cooper and Countryman models due to an impending brake system-related recall. This is due to potentially defective parts.

The same problem affected more than 80,000 BMW and Rolls-Royce models worldwide this year.

These issues put the driver at risk of losing control of their car. The BMW Group, which owns Mini, is looking to extend this recall to include more models. The automaker said: “Additional cases outside the original scope of the recall have been identified.”

Mini claims the number is “much lower.” However, the company has not provided a figure of how many cars have been impacted by the recall.

But this is just the latest in a number of fairly high-profile recall notices for BMW over pretty serious safety concerns. Recalling three-quarters of a million cars in less than a year could potentially impact how customers view BMW vehicles, possibly raising serious questions about their safety.

Tesla is reportedly losing its appeal among younger consumers. However, automakers like BMW continue to attract strong brand loyalty, according to a Morgan Stanley survey.