More Recalls: BMW Recalls a Million Cars Due to Electrical Fires

If you have bought a new car and are having problems with the vehicle, you should contact a San Diego lemon law attorney.  You may have legal options to pursue a remedy so you do not face financial loss due to the purchase of a vehicle with defects.

In some cases, when a car has defects, those defects affect may affect not just one car but may affect all vehicles of a particular make or model.  When there is a widespread defect that makes cars dangerous, the car manufacturer should issue a recall.  According to Car and Driver, this occurred recently when BMW recalled approximately one million cars in the United States.

BMW Recalls A Million Cars in the U.S.

As Car and Driver explained, BMW has filed two separate recalls for vehicles that have a defect that could prove to be dangerous. The recalls cover an estimated million vehicles produced by BMW between 2006 and 2011. The cars are being recalled as a direct result of problems with a crankcase ventilation valve heater. 

The crankcase ventilation valve heater is also called a blow-by heater. It's purpose is to stop ice from forming when the hot, combusted gas pipe venting from the crankcase is being treated.  Unfortunately, the positive crankcase ventilation valve heater in the BMWs presents a danger itself. It could short out, it could melt, or it could actually end up igniting.

BMW first discovered the problem with the crankcase ventilator on a 2007 X5. The problem was identified by BMW in the X5 in 2009.  From 2011 to 2012, BMW began collecting blow-by heaters that had been damaged. However, no recall was issued at that time.

Now, however, BMW has recalled several vehicle models including gasoline non-turbocharged six-cylinder models of the  328i, 525i, 528i, 530i, X3, X5, and Z4 models from 2007 through 2011 as well as the 128i models from 2008 through 2011.  All variants of these vehicles are included in the recall.

BMW has indicated that the problem is the most prevalent in cars that are between two years old and eight years old. The car company has not made clear how many fires have occurred as a result of the problems  but has indicated that no accidents or injuries have yet been reported. The heat-related damages that results from the problem with the crankcase ventilation valve heater appears to be localized and was self-extinguishing. BMW will be replacing the blow-by heater to help ensure that motorists of affected vehicles are not at risk.

This recall is yet another in the long line of recalled vehicles as a record number of cars have been recalled in recent years.  Drivers need to understand how recalls work and what their rights are. Motorists should also understand their rights in the event they purchase a vehicle which has numerous defects but which is not recalled. A San Diego lemon law attorney can provide help to motorists whose new car turns out to have many problems that interfere with vehicle operations.