— A BMW hybrid battery recall has caused a California vehicle owner to file a class action lawsuit on behalf of all former and current California owners and lessees of these BMW models.
- 2020-2021 BMW 530e
- 2020-2021 BMW 530e xDrive
- 2020-2021 BMW 530e iPerformance
- 2020-2021 BMW X3 xDrive30e
- 2020-2021 MINI Cooper Countryman All4 SE
- 2020 BMW i8
- 2021 BMW 330e
- 2021 BMW 330e xDrive
- 2021 BMW 745Le xDrive
- 2021 BMW X5 xDrive45e
BMW owner William Martin Burbank filed the class action lawsuit about the new 2021 BMW X3 Plug-in Hybrid he purchased in California.
The BMW hybrid battery recall was issued in 2020 and said an affected vehicle may have “debris in the hybrid battery” which “may cause fire.” The recall applied to the same BMW vehicles listed in this class action lawsuit.
According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the BMW hybrid battery recall was issued because the battery maker, Samsung, may have allowed debris to enter the battery cells.
The debris causes short circuits and fires, something BMW mentioned when speaking about four vehicle fires caused by the hybrid batteries.
According to the BMW hybrid battery recall, owners and lessees were told not to charge the batteries until dealerships made repairs. Customers were also warned not to "drive in manual mode, sport mode, and to not use the shift paddles.”
The BMW class action alleges the plaintiff took his vehicle to a dealer but was allegedly told the vehicle couldn't be repaired yet. To date, the vehicle remains at the BMW dealer allegedly "unrepaired and unrepairable."
The plaintiff says after the BMW hybrid battery recall, he asked the automaker to repurchase the defective BMW X3 but the automaker refused.
The plaintiff also says he was forced to purchase another vehicle to replace the BMW X3 he wasn't allowed to charge or drive.
"Plaintiff believes the unreasonably dangerous and defective battery system is dangerous to his health and the safety, to all others who may ride in the vehicle, and to other motorists." — BMW hybrid battery lawsuit
According to the hybrid battery recall, BMW owners are warned to watch for warning lights indicating battery or drivetrain malfunctions and to immediately stop and get out of the vehicles if problems occur.
And the lawsuit alleges BMW has long known about the battery problems.
"Prior to the manufacture and sale of the Class Vehicles, Defendant knew of the battery system defect through internal sources, testing, and consumer complaints, including specific instances of potential Class Members bringing Class Vehicles to BMW for inspection and repair." — BMW battery class action
The class action also alleges the BMW hybrid battery recall has caused the vehicles to lose value as customers lose their confidence in the safety and reliability of the BMW vehicles.
The BMW hybrid battery lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: Burbank, vs. BMW of North America, LLC.
The plaintiff is represented by O'Connor Law Group, P.C., Wirtz Law APC, Reallaw APC.