Over 2,000 BMW cars in Singapore affected by global recall over engine starter fire risk

SINGAPORE – More than 2,000 BMW cars here will be affected by the German carmaker’s global recall of

hundreds of thousands of vehicles

over a fire risk from engine starters.

A spokesperson from BMW Group Asia said, in response to queries on Feb 12, that a total of 2,303 BMW vehicles are part of the safety recall in Singapore.

The potentially affected car models are:

Performance Motors and Eurokars Auto – the two authorised BMW dealerships in Singapore – are in the process of reaching out to their customers, BMW Group Asia said.

Those who are unaffected by the recall can still take some precautionary steps if they are concerned about their vehicles, the company’s spokesperson said.

“Customers should pay attention when leaving the vehicle to whether smoke can be seen or smelled.

“Furthermore, BMW recommends not leaving the vehicle unattended with the engine running after starting the engine – especially after a remote engine start – if the car is equipped with this optional equipment.”

Sixteen models equipped with engine starters produced between July 2020 and July 2022 could be affected as there have been cases of the electromagnet in the starter showing excessive wear over time, said BMW, as quoted by AFP news agency.

Following customer complaints and vehicle inspections, “it was determined that the starter of the engine in the identified vehicles could become defective”, BMW was cited as saying.

“In addition, a short circuit in the electromagnet cannot be ruled out. As a result, local overheating of the starter may occur. In the worst case, this can lead to a vehicle (catching) fire while driving.”

In 2024, BMW took a hit worth hundreds of millions of euros when it recalled 1.5 million vehicles over faulty brakes supplied by German car parts supplier Continental.

Another batch of recalls is also under way in South Korea, according to a report by Yonhap news agency.

BMW Korea, Hyundai Motor and Kia are recalling a total of 179,880 vehicles over software-related manufacturing defects, South Korea’s Transport Ministry said on Feb 11.

The recall covers 51 models from the three carmakers. BMW Korea will recall 9,914 vehicles across 13 models, including the i5 eDrive40 electric sedan, owing to a software defect in the air-conditioning system.