A 2023 BMW X7 caught fire in a family's garage out of the blue, and it completely burned down. The dog barking too much alerted the owner and their loved ones. Sadly, they were unable to save the pet. Here's what the firefighters and BMW had to say.
Make sure to maintain your mild hybrid BMW properly! Have it checked out regularly, and make sure all the recalls are done. A 5,600-mile facelifted X7 burned to a crisp while parked in a family's garage! The owner was unaware, but luckily, the family dog barked loud enough to alert everyone that something was wrong.
The man explained to the local press that he came home around 11 PM, parked the car as usual, and went to sleep. Three hours later, the dog woke up the whole family, so he went down to check things out and make sure the pet was fine. When he opened the garage door, the man saw his five-month-old SUV in flames. Official reports say the fire originated from the hood and quickly spread out to the front of the garage. According to the owner, the fire only took 20 minutes to engulf the whole storage space.
The BMW buyer said he intended to save the dog, but it was too late, and he could not help the pet escape the fire. However, he praised the animal for saving his and his family's lives. The man's wife and his two little kids were checked by the paramedics and deemed fine.
Firefighters and paramedics responded immediately to the scene. The fire was put out before reaching other parts of the house. They used water and foam to extinguish it. The cause of the fire was established as an electrical short circuit.
A short circuit can occur when there is an unintended connection between a battery's positive and negative terminals. It can happen due to manufacturing defects, physical damage to the battery, or external factors like water exposure.
Photo: Vlad Draganescu / Adevarul
When asked if there were any problems with the vehicle, he said the X7 did not show any issues beforehand, and it ran "perfectly."
The man called his local BMW dealer and told them about what happened. He was told to tow the burnt mild hybrid SUV to the service center for a diagnosis. He insisted that the SUV could not be checked in any way because just the wheels and the metal frame were left of it. He was ultimately advised to contact corporate, but they were not of any help either. They told him over the phone to send an email describing what happened. He did but has yet to receive a response. Now, he intends to sue.
"The dog was barking right before me, and I could not save it. It was horrible," said the X7 owner to the local media.
The BMW was bought new from an unnamed company for $147,770. It didn't have comprehensive insurance that covered fire risks, but it was under warranty. Unless the Bavarian automaker decides to reimburse the owner for the damages, he risks covering everything out of pocket.
High-voltage battery issues or electrical system faults are not uncommon when it comes to hybridized vehicles. BMW experienced a similar unfortunate issue with a batch of BMW X5 xDrive45e units back in 2022 when it recalled the 2020 model year due to a manufacturing defect where the "battery did not meet specifications."
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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