Safety recall Electrical system

BMW recall 26V-695: Engine Starter Positive Battery Connection May Loosen

Report received 14 days ago

A loose positive battery cable can create sparking, increasing the risk of a fire.

Campaign facts

NHTSA campaign
26V695000 (26V-695)
Filed by
BMW of North America, LLC
Report received
October 21, 2026
Component
Electrical system:starter assembly; Electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery:cables
Vehicles potentially affected
45
Model years
2018–2020
Recall initiated by
The manufacturer

What is wrong

BMW of North America, LLC is recalling certain 2018 740Le xDrive, 2018-2020 530e iPerformance, and 2018-2020 530e xDrive vehicles. The postive battery cable on the engine starter may loosen.

The risk

A loose positive battery cable can create sparking, increasing the risk of a fire.

Why electrical defects matter: Electrical faults can cause a loss of power, disable safety features or, where wiring overheats, start a fire.

The remedy

Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine starter, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 11, 2026. 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 December 11, 2026. Vehicles in this recall were previously repaired under recall 26V441.

About the electrical system

Modern vehicles run on dozens of control modules and miles of wiring; an electrical fault can affect lighting, displays, power or safety systems.

Vehicles covered by campaign 26V-695

  • BMW 530e Iperformance 202020192018
  • BMW 530e xDrive Iperformance 202020192018
  • BMW 740LE xDrive Iperformance 2018

What to do

  1. Enter your VIN in NHTSA’s lookup (below) to confirm that your vehicle is included and that the repair has not already been done.
  2. Call a dealer for the brand and book the repair. Quote NHTSA campaign 26V-695.
  3. If you notice burning smells, flickering power or warning lamps, have the vehicle checked before continuing to use it.
  4. Safety recall repairs are carried out free of charge by the manufacturer’s dealers. If you already paid for this repair yourself, ask the manufacturer about reimbursement and keep your receipt.

Check by VIN

A campaign rarely covers every vehicle of a model year. Enter your 17-character VIN to find the recall campaigns filed for your make, model and model year. The VIN is on the driver’s side of the dashboard (visible through the windshield), on the door-jamb label, and on your registration and insurance documents.

Is a recall still open on your vehicle? Only NHTSA’s official VIN check can say whether a campaign applies to your exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been done.

Your VIN is decoded with NHTSA’s public vPIC service to identify the make, model and year. It is not stored and is not added to any page address.

The official record

This page reproduces the campaign as filed with NHTSA. The NHTSA record is authoritative — if anything here differs, follow the agency.

Open campaign 26V-695 on NHTSA.gov

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