BMW recalls: X models, 3 Series and the rest

Fires from a small heater

22V119000, received on March 2, 2022, covered 917,106 BMWs from 2006 to 2013, from the 128i to the X3 and the 5 Series: the heater of the positive crankcase ventilation valve could overheat, melt and, in rare cases, start a fire while the car was parked. It expanded an earlier campaign, 17V683000, on the same part. The engine and engine cooling category, which includes it, has 18 BMW campaigns since 2016. A used BMW from those years should show both as completed.

The X models lead

Since 2021 the X5 appears in 31 campaigns, the X3 in 29 and the X7 in 21, all built in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the largest BMW plant in the world. Recent campaigns on them concern 48-volt mild hybrid systems, steering parts and software. Because NHTSA records BMW models by their full designation, use the exact badge in the recall check, or start from the VIN, which returns it.

Old 3 Series and the do-not-drive warning

NHTSA and BMW asked owners of some 2000 to 2006 3 Series cars with original Takata driver inflators not to drive them until the inflator is replaced, because inflators of that age rupture far more often. If you look at an old E46 3 Series, check the VIN before driving it home. The Takata guide explains the risk by age and climate, and the Mercedes-Benz page compares the other German brand.