In 2018, BMW announced eight recalls that affected ten of its models, according to the Rapex notifications. How to check your VIN for free to see if any of them is also relevant to your car?
BMW’s largest recall in 2018 has not yet appeared in the Rapex system. It related to the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler for its diesel engines, which may in some cases see glycol leaks – we wrote about it here: BMW expands the fire risk recall to 1.6 million cars.
Within RAPEX, the BMW‘s largest recall was issued in July for the 1 Series, X1, 3 Series, M3 and Z4 Series from 2006 to 2011, where a plug connection for the positive battery cable may be defective. This could cause the vehicle electrics and the engine to fail while the vehicle is in motion.
In March 2018, a recall was made for the X3 SUV assembled between March 2017 to February 2018, where a driver could see the rear spoiler fly off due to the screws not having been tightened enough. In May, the same model from about the same period was recalled again. In case of deployment of the driver airbag module, the gas generator could burst.
The BMW 2 Series produced at the end of April 2018 may have defective front axle bearings that could break. The same defect also occurs with the BMW X1.
The oldest recalled BMWs in 2018 were the X5 models produced between 2001 and 2002. The software for the airbag control unit had been incorrectly programmed and, as a consequence, simultaneously switching off the engine and applying the handbrake may unintentionally activate the frontal airbag.
In October, another SUV was recalled. For the X3 and X4, the coating of the rear brake caliper piston could be damaged while the wheel bolts of the X5 and X6 were found not to be tightened properly during production.
* We’ve sorted all the recalls according to the models into the table at the end of the article.
How can you check the recalls by VIN?
Even if you do not find your car in the table below, it does not mean it was not the subject of a recall sometime in the past. The best way to verify whether a particular car is affected with some recall is to contact a BMW Authorized Service and ask for the VIN to be checked not only for recalls but also for various service bulletins.
It will only cost you time because such information is provided for free. Free of charge are also all the repairs that are related to the recall. It does not matter whether you are the first, second or even third owner. It does not even matter whether you have been to BMW authorized service regularly, occasionally or never before.
BMW Authorized Dealers Contacts
Get an instant safety recall check
If you wish to get fully comprehensive VIN lookup, with more than 80 data points about the history of the car, then we suggest going to HPI-Check, which provides information on a specific vehicle using also the vehicle registration number.
What is a VIN code?
The VIN code is a unique identification number that is embossed on the body of the car and shown on the ID card. In some cars, it can also be found in the frame under the windscreen. It is made up of a unique combination of 17 letters and numbers.
BMW 2018 recalls by model
BMW 1 series
| Month | Issue | Production | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| II. | The easy-entry system for the front seats with electric adjustment may have been incorrectly manufactured. | 6/2017 – 7/2017 | link |
| VII. | The plug connection for the positive battery cable may be defective. | 9/2006 – 6/2011 | link |
| All 1 series Recalls |
BMW 2 series
| Month | Issue | Production | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| VII. | The bearings on the front axle could break. | 4/2018 – 5/2018 | link |
| All 2 series Recalls |
BMW 3 series
| Month | Issue | Production | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| VII. | The plug connection for the positive battery cable may be defective. | 9/2006 – 6/2011 | link |
| All 3 series Recalls |
BMW M3
| Month | Issue | Production | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| VII. | The plug connection for the positive battery cable may be defective. | 9/2006 – 6/2011 | link |
| All M3 Recalls |
BMW X1
| Month | Issue | Production | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| VII. | The bearings on the front axle could break. | 4/2018 – 5/2018 | link |
| VII. | The plug connection for the positive battery cable may be defective. | until 1/2011 | link |
| All X1 Recalls |
BMW X3
| Month | Issue | Production | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| III. | It is possible that the screws for attaching the rear spoiler were not fitted. | 7/2017 – 2/2018 | link |
| V. | In case of deployment of the driver airbag module, the gas generator could burst. | 12/2017 – 3/2018 | link |
| X. | The coating of the rear brake caliper piston is defective and impacts the piston movement. | 4/2018 – 5/2018 | link |
| All X3 Recalls |
BMW X4
| Month | Issue | Production | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| X. | The coating of the rear brake caliper piston is defective and impacts the piston movement. | 4/2018 – 5/2018 | link |
| All X4 Recalls |
BMW X5
| Month | Issue | Production | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| X. | The software of the airbag control device has been incorrectly programmed. | 3/2001 – 2/2002 | link |
| X. | The wheel bolts may not have been correctly tightened . | 7/2018 – 8/2018 | link |
| All X5 Recalls |
BMW X6
| Month | Issue | Production | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| X. | The wheel bolts may not have been correctly tightened. | 7/2018 – 8/2018 | link |
| All X6 Recalls |
BMW Z4
| Month | Issue | Production | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| VII. | The plug connection for the positive battery cable may be defective. | IX. 2006 – VI. 2011 | link |
| All Z4 Recalls |
All the unofficial data shown on car-recalls.eu is sourced from the Weekly overview reports of RAPEX notifications. We’ve only sorted that data and transferred it into a searchable manner. Feel free to visit and search more information at the official Rapex Page. Our service is completely free for each user. On-site ads help us partially cover our operating costs.