As far as sports cars go, the Toyota GR Supra and its closely related BMW Z4 cousin are pretty reliable, and if we had to guess, we’d wager the less powerful four-cylinder versions are a bit more dependable than their six-cylinder counterparts. However, nothing’s perfect, and that’s why BMW is recalling nearly 320,000 of its vehicles powered by that B48 turbo four – including the Supra and Z4 – for a potentially serious fire risk.
Something You Use Every Day Could Go Up In Smoke
Engine shot of a 2021 Toyota GR Supra 2.0Toyota
The problem stems from the starter motor, which has an internal component that is prone to excessive wear. If that’s the case, the component could overheat, in which case the entire starter could catch fire. BMW estimates that a fire could start in less than a tenth of a percent of the cars covered under the recall, but the automaker will nonetheless replace the faulty starter out of an abundance of caution.
Affected cars include four-cylinder versions of the 2022–2025 BMW 2 Series, 2023–2024 BMW 3 and 4 Series, 2021–2023 BMW 5 Series, 2021–2024 BMW X3, and 2021–2025 BMW X4. The Z4 sDrive30i roadster is also included in the recall, as well as an unspecified GR Supra model – we presume the 2.0.
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Not every car equipped with the B48 four-cylinder engine is affected. BMW and supplier Valeo were able to trace the issue to a certain production run of starters, which the car company was able to trace to specific build dates. Owners of cars with the problematic component will start receiving recall notifications in late August, at which point they can head to the dealer for a new starter, free of charge. The replacement part comes from a different production sequence of Valeo starters that do not have the fire-prone part assembly.
What To Do In Case Of A Vehicle Fire
2019 BMW Z4 finished in silver with black interiorBMW
We’re not entirely sure of the particular circumstances of a potential starter fire, but if you happen to notice an acrid smoke smell coming from your four-cylinder BMW, immediately turn off the car and open the driver door to kill the electrical power running to the starter. If you happen to be one of the extremely unlucky sub-0.1 percent of B48 owners to experience a starter fire (or if you’re in another vehicle that lights up unexpectedly), your first move should be to turn off the car and get all passengers and pets to a safe location.
Call 9-1-1 immediately for emergency fire services. The United States Fire Administration does not recommend attempting to fight the fire yourself, even if you have an appropriately rated fire extinguisher. Attempting to put a fire out yourself could expose you to harmful chemical vapors or superheated coolant steam, and the risk of injury isn’t worth it if you’re only trying to save the car. That’s especially true of an electric car, where the fire comes from damaged battery cells hidden well out of reach of a fire extinguisher. That said, if a passenger is trapped in the car, a fire extinguisher may be used to slow the spread of the flames while emergency services arrive.
It’s also good practice to ensure you know how to exit your vehicle quickly in case of an emergency. That may sound like an obvious task, but a vehicle fire could potentially damage your car’s electrical system, rendering power door locks useless. Knowing how to manually actuate a lock in a modern car could be a challenge – in the case of a BMW, you have to double-pull the interior door handle to get the lock to open. And if your car has electric door handles or buttons, then it’s crucial that you and your passengers know how to find the mechanical emergency release, which in some cars is hidden behind a removable plastic panel.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
BMW estimates that less than 318 cars sold in the US between 2021 and 2025 are at risk of a starter fire, and while that may not sound like much, we applaud the automaker for carrying out a recall on more than 318,000 vehicles – better safe than sorry, after all. The odds of experiencing a car fire aren’t high, but knowing how to respond in such an incident could be the literal difference between life and death.
Base Trim Engine
2L I4 ICE
Base Trim Transmission
8-speed automatic
Base Trim Drivetrain
Rear-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
255 HP @5000 RPM
Base Trim Torque
295 lb.-ft. @ 1500 RPM
Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)
25/33/28 MPG
Base Trim Battery Type
Lead acid battery
Infotainment & Features
9 /10
Source: NHTSA, United States Fire Administration
