BMW Withdraws 147 Thousand Imported Cars in China due to Fire Risk

BMW X4. (Photo: BMW Group)

BMW China is recalling 147,830 imported vehicles due to a potential fire risk triggered by a defect in the starter motor. This step is part of a global recall campaign that includes around 575,000 vehicles.

Citing an IThome report, Thursday, March 12, the move also came amid changes in the dynamics of the premium automotive market in China. In an effort to maintain competitiveness amid the aggressiveness of domestic brands, BMW even cut prices by up to 24 percent on more than 30 vehicle models.

The recall program, which is registered with the code S2026M0027V, is related to abnormal wear on the starter motor assembly component on vehicles produced from July 2020 to December 2022. Based on data from the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), the ignition cycle that occurs repeatedly can trigger internal component degradation and potentially cause high resistance short circuits.

The results of the technical evaluation show that excessive heat on the starter motor can appear in certain conditions. If it occurs in an extreme condition, it has the potential to trigger a fire in the engine room of the vehicle.

To overcome this problem, affected vehicles will receive a replacement for the starter motor unit that has been strengthened to be able to withstand peak electrical loads, especially on high-voltage internal combustion engine (ICE) systems that often experience large power surges during the cold start process.

In China, BMW's imported vehicles in the 2020-2022 production period mainly come from the 7 Series, X4, X5, and X6 series. The 147,830 units affected by the recall are estimated to be equivalent to about 30 percent of BMW's total import volume in that period.

This situation also occurred amid a slowdown in the market for internal combustion engine luxury vehicles. Data shows that ICE luxury car registrations have contracted by around 12.5 percent, as consumer interest in premium vehicles made by domestic manufacturers increases.

Pressure for BMW also comes from changes in the competitive map in the ultra-luxury segment. The BMW 7 Series even dropped to seventh place in the segment ranking in 2025.

Meanwhile, flagship models from local brands such as Maextro S800 and Aito M9 are starting to grab market share, with the S800 reportedly able to surpass the combined sales of the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Maybach S-Class in January 2026.

In the midst of this situation, BMW is now facing an increasingly greater challenge while preparing for the transition to the Neue Klasse platform which is planned to be introduced by the end of 2026. This new generation platform is also said to carry an ADAS system developed in China.