BMW 3 Series

Issue: On certain vehicles, the driver-front airbag inflator could rupture when the airbag deploys in a crash. If this happens, the airbag may not properly inflate and fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants. Safety Risk: An airbag inflator that ruptures can create a risk of injury or death. Corrective Actions: BMW will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the driver-front airbag module.

Issue: On certain vehicles, the integrated transmission control unit (ITCU) may not be sealed properly. As a result, transmission oil could leak into the unit and cause the transmission gears to seize. If this happens, there could be a loss of power to the wheels. Safety Risk: A loss of power to the wheels could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: BMW will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the ITCU. The dealer will also inspect the transmission fluid and replace it, if necessary.

Issue: On certain vehicles, the seat belt reminder chime may be delayed if you begin driving, and your your seat belt is not buckled. Canadian regulations require both a seat belt reminder sound and visual tell-tale when a driver is not wearing their seat belt. Safety Risk: A seat belt warning that doesn't work correctly may not remind you to buckle your seat before driving. Not wearing your seat belt can increase the risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: BMW will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to update the Receiver Audio Module software.

Issue: On certain vehicles, a small part of the rearview camera image could be blocked. Canadian regulations require the full rearview image to display while the transmission is in reverse gear. Safety Risk: A rearview camera image that is not completely visible on the display could reduce a driver's ability to see behind the vehicle while backing up. This could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: BMW will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to update the rearview camera software.

Issue: On certain vehicles, a software problem could cause the vacuum pump to be damaged during engine starting. If this happens, there could be a loss of brake assist. This can cause an increase in brake pedal effort and increase the distance needed to stop the vehicle. Safety Risk: A sudden increase in brake pedal force could lead to an increased stopping distance. This could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: BMW will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to update the engine management software.

Issue: This recall is for vehicles that had an inspection performed under recall 2019-599, 2019-600 or 2019-601, but where the airbag inflator was not replaced. This new recall will provide replacement of the airbag inflator. On certain cars, exposure to moisture over time could cause the driver-front airbag not to inflate properly in a crash. In some cases, this could cause an airbag not to fully inflate, while in others it could cause it to deploy with more force than normal. It could also cause the inflator to rupture. If the airbag inflator ruptures, small pieces of metal could be propelled toward vehicle occupants or cause damage to the airbag and prevent its proper function. Safety Risk: In a crash requiring an airbag deployment, the driver-front airbag may not inflate properly or the inflator could rupture. This could create a risk of injury. Corrective Actions: BMW will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your car to a dealer to replace the driver-front airbag inflator.

Issue: On certain vehicles, a software problem could cause the rearview camera image not to appear correctly in the central display. Canadian regulations require the rearview image to display when the transmission is shifted into reverse gear. Safety Risk: A rearview camera image that does not display correctly could reduce a driver's ability to see behind the vehicle while backing up. This could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: BMW will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to update the rearview camera software, if necessary.

Issue: On certain plug-In hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), debris may have entered the high-voltage battery during production. As a result, the battery could short circuit. Safety Risk: A short circuit in the battery could create a fire risk. Corrective Actions: BMW will notify owners by mail. The corrective actions for this recall are under development. BMW recommends that you should not charge your vehicle and that you should not drive the vehicle in manual mode, sport mode or use the shift paddles until the recall repairs have been completed. BMW also recommends that you should drain the high-voltage battery via iDrive, by setting/leaving the charging state at 30%, until the recall repairs have been completed.

Issue: On certain vehicles, high temperatures and excessive vibration could cause damage to the steering tie rods. If this happens, the tie rods could break. This could result in a loss of steering control. Safety Risk: A loss of steering control could create a risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: BMW will notify owners by mail and instruct you take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the steering tie rods.

Issue: This recall is for certain vehicles that had an airbag inflator replaced as a part of an earlier recall campaign. This recall provides a final repair. Long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the propellant contained in the driver-front airbag. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. If the airbag inflator ruptures, fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants or cause damage to the airbag assembly, preventing its proper function. Safety Risk: If the vehicle is involved in a crash requiring an airbag deployment, the airbag inflator could rupture and create a risk of injury. Corrective Actions: Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to inspect the driver-front airbag inflator. The driver-front airbag module or inflator will be replaced as necessary. Note: The Canadian climate results in the propellant degrading slowly. This recall is being conducted as a precaution to address future risk. It is expected that all airbag inflators will be replaced before their function would be affected.

Issue: On certain cars, exposure to moisture over time could cause the driver-front airbag not to inflate properly in a crash. In some cases, this could cause an airbag not to fully inflate, while in others it could cause it to deploy with more force than normal. It could also cause the inflator to rupture. If the airbag inflator ruptures, small pieces of metal could be propelled toward vehicle occupants or cause damage to the airbag and prevent its proper function. Note: This recall affects cars built between May 22, 1999 and June 20, 2000. While the car was not built with an affected airbag inflator, it may have had one installed if the steering wheel airbag was replaced. Safety Risk: In a crash requiring an airbag deployment, the driver-front airbag may not inflate properly or the inflator could rupture. This could create a risk of injury. Corrective Actions: BMW will notify owners by mail. There may be a significant delay before replacement parts are available. BMW will send you a second letter once replacement parts are available and instruct you to take your car to a dealer to inspect the driver-front airbag inflator. If the inflator requires replacement, a newly design part will be installed. Note: BMW has not advised owners of vehicles affected by this recall to stop using their cars.

Issue: This recall applies to vehicles equipped with a replacement sport steering wheel that has a Takata airbag. Certain conditions, including long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the propellant contained in the driver-front airbag. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. If the airbag inflator ruptures, fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants or cause damage to the airbag assembly, preventing its proper function. Safety Risk: If the vehicle is involved in a crash requiring an airbag deployment, the airbag inflator could rupture and create a risk of injury. Corrective Action: The company will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to have an inspection performed. If a Takata airbag inflator is found, then the driver-front airbag module will be replaced. Note: The Canadian climate results in the propellant degrading slowly. This recall is being conducted as a precaution to address future risk. It is expected that all airbag inflators will be replaced before their function would be affected.

Issue: On certain 3-series and M3 vehicles, the positive battery cable connection to the fuse box may fail. This could cause a loss of electrical power while driving. As a result the engine could turn off and various electrical systems may not work, including the lights. Safety Risk: A sudden loss of engine power and/or loss of vehicle electrical systems could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: BMW will notify owners by mail and instruct them to take their vehicle to a dealer to replace the positive battery cable connector with an updated version. Note: This is an expansion of recall 2013-048.

Issue: On certain vehicles equipped with an N52 6-cylinder engine, a manufacturing problem could cause the PCV valve heater to overheat. Safety Risk: An overheated engine PCV valve heater could create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the PCV valve heater.

Certain vehicles may have been built with a defective passenger front airbag. This could cause the airbag not to deploy properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant. Correction: Dealers will replace the passenger front airbag.

On certain vehicles, the blower regulator wiring harness crimp connection could start to corrode over time. This in combination with high current flow (IE maximum blower fan speed) could cause the harness to overheat and melt, which could lead to a fire causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace the blower regulator wiring harness and inspect other components for damage, replacing them as necessary.

On certain vehicles, the rivet connections for the constant velocity (CV) joint of the rear driveshaft may have insufficient durability. Over time, this could cause the CV joint to break, resulting in a loss of propulsion which could increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or property damage. Correction: Dealers will replace the CV joint. Note: This recall supersedes recall 2017-049

On certain vehicles that had the driver's side frontal airbag replaced in the past, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, could eventually degrade the propellant contained in the driver's side frontal airbag. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. As a result, if the vehicle were involved in a collision that warrants airbag deployment, fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants, and the airbag assembly could be damaged, preventing proper function. These issues could increase the risk of injury. Correction: Dealers will inspect the driver's side frontal airbag module, and will replace it, if necessary. Note: Canadian climate results in the propellant degrading slowly. The recall is being conducted as a precaution to address future risk, and is expected to replace airbag inflators before their function would be affected.

Certain vehicles may not comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 - Lighting System and Retroreflective Devices. The front side markers may be inoperative due to a vehicle software update. This could result in the front side marker lamps not illuminating in conjunction with the parking lamps or headlamps, and no warning message would be displayed in the instrument cluster. The turn signal function of the front side marker lamps would remain operational. This could cause the vehicle to fail to comply with the requirements of the standard, and reduce vehicle conspicuity, which could increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will update vehicle software.

On certain vehicles, improper nickel plating of certain fuel pump internal components could contaminate the pump, potentially resulting in an inoperative fuel pump. This could result in a no-start condition, or an engine stall without warning and without the ability to restart the vehicle, which could increase the risk of a crash. Correction: Dealers will replace the fuel pump.

On certain vehicles, a defect in manufacturing could result in a loss of oil supply to the vacuum pump. If this were to occur, the vacuum pump could fail, causing a loss of power assist to the braking system. This could cause increased stopping distances, possibly resulting in a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will install a camshaft seal disk locking ring. Note: This is an expansion of recall 2013-330.

On certain vehicles, housing bolts for the variable camshaft timing system could break, allowing camshaft timing to deviate. If this occurs, the engine would revert to "limp home mode", limiting available engine power. In rare instances the engine could stall, increasing the risk of a collision causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace housing bolts that break and perform associated repairs for 10 years/unlimited mileage from the vehicle's in-service date. Note: This applies only to vehicles not covered by recall 2014-127.

On certain vehicles, a defect in manufacturing could result in a loss of oil supply to the vacuum pump. If this were to occur, the vacuum pump could fail, causing a loss of power assist to the braking system. This could cause increased stopping distances, possibly resulting in a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will install a camshaft seal disk locking ring.

On certain vehicles, the passenger (frontal) airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause the inflator to rupture, which could allow fragments to be propelled toward vehicle occupants, increasing the risk of injury. This could also damage the airbag module, which could prevent proper deployment during a crash where deployment is warranted, increasing the risk of personal injury to the seat occupant. The defect could also result in a fire causing personal injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace the passenger airbag.

On certain 3-series sedans equipped with xDrive (all-wheel-drive), the front driveshaft attachment bolts may not have received adequate tightening torque during vehicle assembly. Should the fasteners loosen and fall out, the driveshaft would detach from the transfer case and/or the front differential, which could result in additional damage to the driveline, the undercarriage, and any nearby components, while the accompanying noise could startle the driver and cause a crash resulting in property damage and/or personal injury. Due to the xDrive configuration, separation of the front driveshaft would not result in a loss of vehicle propulsion. Correction: Dealers will replace the front driveshaft attachment bolts.

On certain vehicles, incorrect crimp connectors may have been used during vehicle assembly on the side airbag and belt tensioner wiring. As a result, sufficient contact between the crimp connectors and the corresponding plug may not occur. As such, the airbag and/or seatbelt tensioner may not deploy during a vehicle crash where deployment would be warranted, which could increase the risk of personal injury or death to front seat occupants. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair the wiring harness for the front side airbags and seatbelt tensioners.

On certain M3 vehicles, the tires may have been damaged during transportation from port to dealerships. The transit of vehicles at very low temperature may have caused cracking of the treads. If the treads have experienced cracking, the tire may fail at high speed and could result in a crash causing injuries or death. Correction: Dealers will inspect the affected tires and replace them as necessary.

On certain vehicles, the bolted connection between the front control arm and swivel bearing may not have received adequate tightening torque during vehicle assembly. As a result, this bolted connection could loosen and/or break, affecting vehicle stability and control. Correction: Dealers will verify the bolted connection torque.

Certain 323I and 328I vehicles may experience inadvertent or non-crash side impact lateral air bags deployment. In addition, the Battery Safety Terminal (BST) would also activate, disconnecting the starter cable from the battery. In this case, the vehicle electrical systems would continue to operate and the engine would continue to run; however, after the engine is turned off, it could not be restarted. Correction: Dealers will recalibrate the side airbag system in order to reduce the possibility of such non-crash deployments.

On certain 325I, 330I, 525I and 530I vehicles during the strut mount manufacturing process, the thrust bearing was not properly positioned and secured. If the suspension is fully unloaded, the front strut could separate from the upper mount. This could affect vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash. Correction: Dealers will replace both front spring strut upper mounts.

Certain passenger vehicles. The engine auxiliary/cooling fan operation, including variable speed, is electronically controlled. Failure of the fan motor can cause the electrical circuitry of the fan control unit to overload and fail, causing the fan to stop operating. If this were to occur, engine overheating and subsequent engine damage could result. In addition, it is possible for the failure of the electrical circuitry to cause a fire in the fan control unit located in the front of the engine compartment. Correction: Dealers will replace the fan.

On certain 323I, 328I, 528I, 528IT, 540I, 540IT, 740I, 740IL, 750IL and M5 vehicles, the brake light switch capacitor housing may be cracked and in high humidity conditions the capacitor and switch housing could become overheated and deformed. As a result, a short circuit or an open circuit could occur in the switch. This could cause the switch to remain either in the "brake lamps off" position or the "brake lamps on" position. If the switch remains in the "off" position, the brake lamps will be rendered inoperative. Conversely, if the switch remains in the "on" position, the brake lamps will be continuously illuminated when the ignition switch is in the "on" position. Correction: Brake lamp switch will be replaced with an improved switch.