BMW recalls over 291K vehicles due to rear cargo rail detachment risk

German automaker BMW said the rear cargo rails could become damaged in the event of an extreme rear crash, prompting the recall of certain X3 sport-utility vehicles.

More than 291,000 BMW X3 SUVs are being recalled due to a potential safety issue with their interior rear cargo rails.

The automaker said in a recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that the model year 2018-2023 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i and X3 M vehicles subject to the recall "have been manufactured with rear cargo rails which, in an extreme rear crash, could become damaged." 

"In a rare case, if the attachment became damaged, the rail could start to separate from the vehicle body, which could increase the risk of injury," the recall report said.

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BMW built the recalled vehicles in a 5.5-year period between early March 2017 and mid-September 2022.

The automaker plans to inform impacted owners of the recall in late August via mail. Dealers, meanwhile, have already received notification about the issue.

BMW said a replacement of the bolts connecting the rear cargo rail to the affected vehicles will solve the problem. Owners can get the fix for free at an authorized BMW dealership.

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Owners "who have had this remedy performed at their own expense prior to the recall notification, may be eligible for reimbursement," BMW also said in the report.

The interior rear cargo rail issue was first brought to BMW’s attention when there was an "extreme rear crash involving a Model Year 2022 BMW X3" and the owner "retained legal counsel" about two years ago, according to the recall report.

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BMW also said in the recall report it decided to recall the vehicles "in an abundance of caution."