BMW of North America is recalling certain 2023 X5 and X7 vehicles due to a potential risk of electrical short circuits. The underlying issue, however, is that the windshields may not have been properly bonded to the vehicles by a recently-programmed vehicle assembly robot.
BMW of North America is recalling certain 2023 X5 and X7 vehicles due to a potential risk of electrical short circuits.
The recall pertains to a relatively small number, 47, of potentially affected vehicles. Those include 39 2023 X5 sDrive40i and xDrive40i vehicles, two xDrive45e vehicles and six X7 xDrive40i vehicles.
According to documentation filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the 47 potentially affected BMWs were manufactured with windshields that may have been attached without meeting specifications. Water could enter the vehicle and contact electrical components, causing a short circuit.
BMW tells NHTSA that water was present in a vehicle’s interior during quality assurance testing in September 2022. BMW reviewed vehicle manufacturing information to determine the number and production date range of potentially affected vehicles.
“The review indicated that a vehicle assembly robot, which attaches and seals the windshield to the vehicle, had been recently programmed. Further information indicated that this programming effort could allow a windshield to not be appropriately attached and sealed to the vehicle body structure,” BMW tells the administration. “Testing was conducted to determine the possibility and extent of water ingress to the vehicle interior and, if water was present, potential affects upon vehicle operation.”
Test results found that water ingress could occur, and in that event, water could make contact with the power distribution box and electrical control unit.
Dealers were set to begin receiving notification of the recall in early November 2022. BMW indicates that vehicle owners will receive notification starting December 3, 2022. BMW dealers will fix the issue for free, with the vehicle manufacturer adding that it has not received any reports of any accidents or injuries related to the issue.
