BMW’s recall to fix the fuel tank problem starts in December

October 31, 2016

German carmaker BMW will recall 154,472 vehicles in the U. S. and Canada due to an engine stalling issue caused by apparent fuel leaks, according to a document filed on Friday by the U. S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

American cars and crossovers flagged for the recall amount 138,188, or about 89% of the total number. The rest of the vehicles (16,284) come from Canada.

The process officially starts on December 5. Drivers must bring their cars back to BMW dealerships for a complete fuel delivery module replacement. The repair is free of charge.

This instance marks the third recall for BMW. The company has already undergone through this process before in the U. S., China, Japan, and South Korea for this very issue. Neither the American nor the German branch of BMW has come forward to make any comments.

What is causing the fuel tank problem?

Documents provided by the NHTSA state the fuel problem stems from the ground wire or active pin contacts found in the fuel pump’s connector. These cables, in some cases, might not be adequately compressed, which causes an increase in electric contact resistance.

This resistance generates more heating than expected whenever the connector is working, which could cause the plastic around the pins to melt, causing damage to the fuel tank.

BMW-M5-fueltank — One of BMW’s affected fuel tanks. Image credit: BimmerFile.

That occurrence, in turn, might produce fuel leaks that could create fires or cause the engine to stall. Eventually, this flaw could render the fuel pump inoperative.

According to the NHTSA, BMW analysts first spotted the problem in 2011 because of customer complaints regarding a strong smell of fuel while driving and have been trying to fix it ever since.

Fortunately, the company claims BMW has not received any reports of accidents or injuries caused by this particular issue.