2024 starter recall — 105,588The first six-figure recall on our list is from 2024, when BMW recalled 105,588 vehicles across its range over a starter issue. Products involved were the 2019-2020 BMW X5 and X7, the 2020 BMW 3 and 8 Series, the 2020 BMW X6, and the 2020-2021 BMW 7 Series.Affected examples of these vehicles suffered from a temporary change to a different starter design during production. This alternate starter could suffer from mechanical damage and be unable to start the engine. While that wasn't too drastic, the situation was compounded by the fact that drivers could trigger an electrical overload via long and repeated attempts to start their stricken vehicle. The overload would then stop the car from starting outright. BMW also admitted that the issue could, on paper, result in overheating and fires in certain situations, although the company had not received any reports of fires stemming from an overloaded starter up until August 2024.Thankfully, the solution was quite simple: BMW shipped a software update that dealers would install on affected vehicles, preventing the system from overloading the starter.2024 water pump recall — 720,796The 2020s haven't been particularly kind to BMW, with multiple six-figure recalls covering most of its product line, but the top two really take the cake. First of the mega-recalls — as if the Takata airbag recalls weren't mega enough — is the recent 2024 recall for faulty water pumps, involving 720,796 BMWs in the U.S. alone.As you might expect for such a huge recall, the BMW models involved were quite varied, although all were from the 2012 to 2018 model years. Selected X1, X3, X4, and X5 SUVs had the faulty water pump, as did a range of the company's 2, 3, 4, and 5 Series cars (including the convertible 4 Series) and Z4 convertible. The failure here was not with the water pump's functionality itself (or lack thereof), but instead had to do with the power connector. Blow-by fluid from the intake system could leak into the connector, causing a short circuit that could ignite a fire in the engine bay.The Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport first made BMW aware of the issue in March 2024, but it took until August 2024 for the company to determine that it needed to recall affected vehicles. By that point, BMW had been made aware of 18 incidents related to the issue — thankfully, without any injury or loss of life.
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