Malaysian sold BMW PHEV’s not affected by this recall.
BMW North America has just been hit with a recall and it is for their Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) vehicles that were made between January and September 2020 (this year). So, for Malaysian brand new year 2020 purchased BMW PHEV owners please do not panic at this point as your PHEV BMW’s were probably made in 2019 and shipped here for delivery to you in 2020.
Still, there is no harm in contacting your service advisor to get confirmation and give yourself a piece of mind.
BMW North America has not released a statement which battery supplier is affected by this recall, however we know that BMW sources their batteries from Samsung and CATL. The good news for now is that, out of the 26,700 BMW’s that are affected in the recall, only about 33 per cent have already been delivered to customers while the remainder units are still with dealers and at the BMW factory. This means they can be fixed before being sold to North American customers.
This recall shows the potential issues that are still possible with PHEV ownership as car manufacturers scramble to produce plug-in vehicles and also electric vehicles to fuel rising demand. Battery suppliers have to work quick to develop longer lasting batteries and make them smaller and lighter at the same time to keep their car clients happy for added showroom sales. BMW wants to only sell EV and PHEV’s by 2030 which means its battery suppliers must do more research and testing.
Question, is enough testing being done? Are PHEV and EV buyers the test subjects driving around a vehicle that could just ignite and engulf their car in a fireball? More should be done with time taken to properly test batteries that are being released to the market at this accelerated rate.
ISSUE: Debris in Hybrid Battery may Cause Fire
The debris could result in a short-circuit, increasing the risk of fire or injury.
NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V601000
Manufacturer BMW of North America, LLC
Components ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Potential Number of Units Affected 4,509
Summary
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 530e, 530e xDrive, 530e iPerformance and X3 xDrive30e and MINI Cooper Countryman All4 SE, 2020 BMW i8, and 2021 330e, 330e xDrive, 745Le xDrive and X5 xDrive45e vehicles. Debris may have entered one or more of the hybrid battery cells during their production.
Remedy
The remedy is currently being developed. Until the remedy is available, drivers will be instructed to not charge their vehicles. Drivers will also be instructed to not drive in manual mode, sport mode, and to not use the shift paddles. The recall is expected to begin November 23, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
10 Affected Products
Vehicles
MAKE MODEL YEAR
- BMW 330E 2021
- BMW 530E 2020-2021
- BMW 745LE 2021
- BMW I8 2020
- BMW X3 2020-2021
- BMW X5 2021
- MINI COUNTRYMAN 2020-2021
