BMW water pump recall: 720,796 vehicles, fire risk, park outside

Is your car affected?

What to do

Park the vehicle outside and away from structures until the recall remedy is completed, as NHTSA's record advises. The record does not carry a do-not-drive advisory.

If your car was repaired under recall 24V-608, it is still included in this recall. NHTSA's record says vehicles already repaired under the previous recall will need to have the new remedy completed.

The remedy is still under development. BMW says owners will be notified by First Class mail and told to take the vehicle to an authorized BMW center to have the remedy performed for free.

NHTSA's record says owner notification letters are expected to be mailed in December 2026. BMW's report plans owner notification for Dec. 25, 2026; it planned dealer notification for Nov. 4, 2026.

Owners who paid for this remedy themselves before the recall notification may be eligible for reimbursement under BMW's plan, the report says.

Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

What happened

Owners of the 720,796 BMW vehicles potentially involved in the recall are advised to park them outside and away from structures until the recall remedy is completed, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall record. The remedy is still under development.

BMW of North America, LLC submitted its recall report on Nov. 4, 2026, and NHTSA received it that day. NHTSA lists the recall as campaign 26V-733, under electrical system wiring connectors, plugs and receptacles.

NHTSA's record says an improperly sealed electrical connector on the water pump may be exposed to water and short circuit. A short circuit increases the risk of a fire.

BMW's Part 573 Safety Recall Report says moisture could enter the pump at the connector and lead to the possibility of a short circuit. The report says this could increase the risk of a thermal event and, in rare cases, a fire.

BMW's report counts 720,796 potentially involved vehicles. Its entries include 236,702 3 Series sedans from the 2012-2016 model years, 163,728 X3s from 2013-2017 and 110,102 5 Series from 2012-2016. The key facts list every model group in BMW's report with its build dates.

Each model group has its own build window in the report. Across them, production dates run from Feb. 7, 2011, the start of the Z4 entry, to June 30, 2018, the end of the X5 xDrive40e entry.

BMW's report shows 0.1 percent as the estimated share of vehicles with the defect, but says the calculated value is less than 0.1 percent. The report's field for any warning that can occur is blank.

The report names the water pump's supplier as Peirburg Pump Technology GmbH, in Germany.

This recall replaces recall 24V-608, which BMW reported on Aug. 13, 2024. The 24V-608 remedy installed a protective shield to divert residual fluid. It also included an inspection of the pump's electrical connector and the wire harness plug, with the pump or wire harness replaced if necessary.

BMW says a focused review of field information in early January 2026 found more incidents in which vehicles covered by 24V-608 overheated or had a thermal overload at the pump connector after receiving that remedy.

Later analyses of the connector focused on degradation of its polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). They found severe embrittlement of the PBT, but the report says the root cause was not yet determined at that stage. Further analyses found evidence of cracks in the connector. The report's field for a description of the cause is blank.

BMW decided on Oct. 28, 2026, to conduct a voluntary safety recall. As of that date, BMW was aware of about 10 field instances in the US that relate, or may relate, to the issue. BMW says it has not received any reports of, and is not otherwise aware of, any accidents or injuries related to the issue.

Is my car affected?

NHTSA's record covers certain 2012-2016 3 Series, 5 Series and Z4; 2012-2015 X1; 2013-2017 X3; 2015-2016 4 Series Gran Coupe and 2 Series Convertible; 2014-2016 328xi Gran Turismo, 2 Series Coupe, 4 Series Convertible, 3 Series Coupe and 3 Series Sportswagon; 2015-2018 X4; and 2016-2018 X5 xDrive40e vehicles. The record lists the campaign in 53 model and model-year rows.

BMW's Part 573 report also lists 2014-2016 4 Series Coupe vehicles (428i, 428i xDrive), 29,693 in all.

Enter your 17-character VIN in our free recall check at automotor.news/vin-check/ to see the recalls for that make, model and year. To see whether a recall is still open on that exact car, enter the VIN on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer. VINs in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning Dec. 25, 2026, according to the NHTSA record.