BMW North America is recalling their Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) vehicles that were manufactured between January and September of this year.
Malaysians who recently purchased their BMW PHEVs should not panic at this point as theirs were likely manufactured in 2019 and shipped here in time for delivery in 2020.
Still, there’s no harm in contacting your service advisor for confirmation on the manufacturing date and to enjoy some peace of mind.
BMW North America has not released a statement regarding which battery supplier is affected by this recall, however BMW sources their batteries from Samsung and CATL.
The good news for now is that, out of the 26,700 BMWs that are affected in the recall, only about 33% 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 quickly to develop longer-lasting batteries and make them smaller and lighter while at the same time, keeping their car clients happy for added showroom sales.
BMW wants to only sell EVs and PHEVs 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 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.
The issue here is that debris in hybrid batteries could result in a short-circuit, increasing the risk of fire or injury.
Summary
BMW 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 as debris may have entered one or more of the hybrid battery cells during 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 Nov 23, 2020. Owners may contact the BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
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.
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