BMW is recalling more than 105,000 vehicles equipped with engine starters that can dangerously overheat and potentially cause a fire.
The recall affects certain 2019-2020 X5, X7, 2020 3 Series Sedan, X6, 2020-2021 7 Series Sedan, 2020 8 Series Convertible, 8 Series Coupe, and 2020 8 Series Gran Coupe vehicles, according to a recall notice posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The automaker says in certain cases in which the engine starter has some mechanical damage, the engine may not be able to be started. If the driver repeatedly attempts to start the engine using excessively long starting attempts, this may cause an electrical overload of the starter.
"A starter motor that overheats can ignite nearby combustible material in the engine compartment, increasing the risk of a fire," the recall notice says.
Approximately 105,588 vehicles are covered by the recall, including:
• 2019-2020 BMW X5 (X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i) -- 68,105 vehicles
• 2020 BMW X6 (X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i) -- 1,952 vehicles
• 2019-2020 BMW X7 xDrive40i -- 19,992 vehicles
• 2020-2021 BMW 7 Series Sedan (740i, 740xi) -- 4,210 vehicles
• 2020 BMW 8 Series Convertible (840i, 840xi) - 550 vehicles
• 2020 BMW 8 Series Coupe (840i, 840xi) -- 484 vehicles
• 2020 BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe (840i, 840xi) -- 1,324 vehicles
• 2020 BMW 3 Series Sedan (M340i, M340xi) -- 8,971 vehicles
BMW said it is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the issue. However, it has received approximately 12 customer complaints and associated field incidents regarding the problem.
BMW will inform the owners of recalled vehicles by late-September and dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge.