BMW i8 Is Getting Recalled Over Fire Hazard

The i8 is truly an amazing piece of engineering but all that technology combined can lead to a couple of problems. As it turns out, the plug-in hybrid sports car is already being recalled by BMW for a possible fire hazard.

According to the NHTSA, the cars sold in the US (and we’re guessing those sold in other areas of the world as well) might have a problem with an inadequate weld of a bolt to the fuel tank that attaches a ground cable between the tank itself and the vehicle chassis.

Recall campaign number 14V674000 claims that the welding process used to attach this cable is inadequate and could cause a fuel leak. In the presence of an ignition source, this could actually lead to a fire, says the release from the NHTSA.

At the moment, the institution claims that 223 i8s will be recalled to fix the problem and it claims only those cars manufactured between May 16 2014 and September 16 2014 are affected.

The bigger problem is that even though fixing it will be free of charge and done by BMW at specialized centers, it involves replacing the tank altogether which is a rather tedious process that will take some time to be completed. We’re guessing owners won’t be too pleased to learn about this development. So much for the myth of German craftsmanship…