BMW issues urgent recall over dangerous vehicle fault that could cause fire

BMW has issued a recall for more than 720,000 cars over a dangerous fault that could cause the vehicles to catch on fire.

The car manufacturing giant has issued a notice for owners to bring their cars to a dealership after an issue with the water pump's electrical connector could become hazardous. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the recall includes several models including X1, X3 and X5 vehicles.

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Other models from BMW could also be affected with owners urged to check for an alert. The vehicles suffering from the fault have insufficient sealing on their water pumps according to the NHTSA report. This means they could become susceptible to fluid ingress at the electrical plug connector over time.

The fault could cause a short circuit which in some rare cases could then lead to a fire starting within the vehicle's mechanics. All recalled cars will get an inspection of their water pumps and plug connectors to check for faults and ensure safety for owners.

BMW are also planning to install shields into the cras which will help to divert any fluid that may drop down onto the pump from the positive crankcase ventilation system’s intake air house. BMW owners of models being recalled should expect to receive a notification in October.

The recall notice will direct them to take their car to an authorized BMW center where they will have all repairs and precautionary measures carried out for free at their convenience.