BMW Electrical System: Relay

BMW is recalling about 29,119 vehicles over a problem with the electrical system. A short circuit in the starter relay may increase the risk of a fire.

Campaign
26V441000
Manufacturer
BMW of North America, LLC
Reported
8 July 2026
Vehicles
29,119
Built between
Not published
Models
4
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
Not yet
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Safety advisories

Park outside and away from buildings

Affected vehicles carry a fire risk that can occur while parked, even with the engine off. Park away from structures and other vehicles until the recall repair has been completed.

Does this affect my vehicle?

The manufacturer did not publish a build-date range for this recall, so the model and year list below is the only way to tell whether your vehicle is covered.

  • 2016-2018 BMW 330E Iperformance
  • 2018-2020 BMW 530E Iperformance
  • 2018-2020 BMW 530E Xdrive Iperformance
  • 2017-2019 BMW 740LE Xdrive Iperformance

What the defect is

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2020 530e xDrive, 2017-2019 740Le xDrive, 2018-2020 530e iPerformance, 2016-2018 330e iPerformance vehicles. The engine starter relay may corrode, causing the relay to overheat and short circuit.

What could happen

A short circuit in the starter relay may increase the risk of a fire.

What gets fixed

Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the remedy is complete. Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge. Letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed September 3, 2026. Another letter will be mailed after the remedy is confirmed.

Parts involved

  • Engine Starter8685988, 8643641, 5A7E944, 5A7F8F8, 8643642, 5A7E948, 5A7F916, 8691765Engine Starter

Part numbers are as filed by the manufacturer and are listed for reference. Your dealer will confirm the correct part for your vehicle.

Timeline

  1. Recall reported to NHTSA8 July 2026

No owner-notification date has been published yet. Manufacturers normally write to registered owners within 60 days of reporting a recall.

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 8 July 2026.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Manufacturer contact

Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning August 28, 2026.

Official source

Recalling manufacturer
BMW of North America, LLC
Recall initiated by
MFR

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand