By Mary Prenon

Luxury auto manufacturer BMW of North America has issued a recall of 58,713 vehicles for a possible damaged air conditioning wiring harness, which could short-circuit and increase the risk of fire.

The Feb. 19 recall affects the following vehicle models: 2025 M5 Sportswagon; 2025-2026 M5; 2024-2025 750e xDrive; 2025-2026 550e xDrive; 2023-2025 I7;  2023-2025 7 Series;  2024-2026 i5; and 5 Series vehicles.

According to a notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the electrical wiring harness for the air conditioning system could become damaged during the replacement of the cabin air filter.

Dealers will inspect and replace the air conditioning system’s electrical wiring harness and add a retaining strap and bracket to the harness, as necessary, free of charge.

Vehicle owners will be notified by mail, with letters expected to go out on April 13. Owners can contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning April 13.

BMW initially launched an engineering investigation back in March 2025, based on findings in field incidents involving some of the models named in the recall. Early suggestions included the possibility of damage to a wiring harness during routine maintenance of the vehicle’s cabin air filter.

Between April and June, diagnostics for vehicles in which the cabin air filter had been replaced were reviewed to identify if any system codes that could be associated with damage to an electrical wiring harness were present. In the following months, other field incidents occurred, but were deemed inconclusive as to the cause of the damaged harness.

In July, statistical analyses were performed and indicated a very low rate of occurrence. However, taking preventive action, BMW equipped vehicles with a retaining strap and bracket that would move the air conditioning system’s electrical wiring harness away from one of the screw connections of the cabin air filter’s housing cover.

Between January and February 2026, additional reviews were conducted, and it was again suggested that damage to the wiring harness could occur during replacement of the air filter, especially if it took place at an independent repair facility.

To date, BMW has not received any reports of any accidents or injuries related to this issue.

Earlier this month, BMW of North America recalled 87,394 vehicles equipped with electrical systems that could be faulty and ultimately result in overheated motors, risking fire and injury.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed by March 24. In the meantime, owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning March 24. Dealers will make necessary repairs free of charge.

Last summer, Kelley Blue Book reported a BMW recall involving more than 70,000 models of certain 2022 to 2024 vehicles with possible malfunctioning electric drive motor software.  The problem was said to cause a possible shutdown of the high-voltage systems and cause a loss of drive power.

Founded in 1916, BMW is the premier German manufacturer of luxury cars and motorcycles. It is headquartered in Munich and produces high-performance vehicles, including the MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. The company operates more than 30 production sites worldwide and employs over 150,000 people.