Alternator Recalls and Starter Recalls: Stalls and Fires

An alternator recall usually means the alternator can fail suddenly and the engine can stall once the battery runs down, while a starter recall today usually means the starter or its relay can overheat and start a fire. This guide compares every car starter and alternator recall in NHTSA’s file: what failed, which models, the repair rates, and the cases where a first repair was not enough.

Starter and alternator recalls: the big picture

Both NHTSA groups are wider than passenger cars, so we read every record. Of the alternator recalls, 29 cover a car, SUV, pickup or van in our catalog (2.6 million vehicles); the rest are buses, heavy trucks, motor homes and motorcycles, and at least 10 are not about a charging alternator at all (motor-home generators, fire-truck generator pumps, a kickstand). Of the starter recalls, 18 cover cars (about 2 million vehicles), counting BMW’s 2026 plug-in hybrid recall 26V441, which is not yet linked to our model pages; three crankshaft-sensor recalls filed under the starter are left out. Two recalls are in both groups, so the total is 45.

The two groups have different histories. Alternator recalls for cars are mostly older: 26 of the 29 were filed before 2020. Starter recalls are the reverse: 11 of the 18 were filed in 2020 or later, nearly all of them about overheating or fire.

Alternators that fail and stall the engine

When an alternator stops charging, the car runs on the battery until the voltage drops, then it can lose steering assist, brake and stability systems, and finally the engine. We count 12 car alternator recalls whose record names a stall or the engine stopping (1.4 million vehicles, with overlap).

Chrysler’s 3.6-liter V6 alternators. The largest alternator story in NHTSA’s file began with owner complaints. In July 2014 NHTSA opened a preliminary evaluation (PE14-022) after 14 complaints of alternator failure and engine stall in 2011–2012 Dodge Chargers; with Chrysler’s own reports, it counted 146 such incidents. Chrysler then told NHTSA why the part fails:

“the silicone diodes in the alternator rectifier bridge may experience thermal fatigue due to cyclic loading from the Electric Hydraulic Power Steering (EHPS) system, eventually resulting in no output, reduced output, or a fully shorted to ground condition.”NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, PE14-022 closing resume, reporting Chrysler’s explanation, November 2014

NHTSA closed the probe when Chrysler recalled the cars, and the recall did not end there. Each campaign below says the alternator “may suddenly fail” and the vehicle “may stall without warning”:

Source: NHTSA recalls file and US DOT completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026; build dates from NHTSA’s vehicle lists for each campaign; compiled by PlainVIN. The campaigns cover some of the same models and years, so a car can be in more than one; units are not additive.

Together these four leave an estimated 263,000 recall notices not reported repaired. PE14-022 notes that 98 complaints mentioned fire or smoke, but found no damage beyond the alternator assembly. For the 2014 Grand Cherokee there is a fifth campaign: 13V483 (90,981 vehicles, 93% repaired) fixed loose alternator ground wires and a computer communication fault that could switch off the anti-lock brakes and stability control. Our Dodge Charger and Jeep Grand Cherokee pages show every recall by model year.

Other alternator stall recalls. Nissan’s 2005 recall of 2003–2005 Murano SUVs (05V319, 125,466 vehicles) gives the clearest description of the warning signs. A wire breaking inside the alternator can stop the battery charging; the charge and brake warning lamps come on, the battery discharges, the engine goes into a fail-safe mode that limits speed, and then it stops. Nissan’s 2019 recall of 2017–2019 Titan pickups (19V495, 91,319, 83% repaired) says the alternator harness may have been damaged when the engine was installed, and a short may stall the engine or cause a fire. Kia’s 2023 Sportage recall (22V651, 19,701, 97% repaired) is for a loose alternator battery terminal nut, which can cause a stall or an electrical surge.

Alternator and charging-wire fires

Seventeen car alternator recalls name a fire risk, 1.5 million vehicles with overlap, and most are about a connection rather than the alternator itself. The heavy output cable runs from the alternator to the battery or a fuse box, and when its nut or clamp is loose it can arc:

• Chrysler pickups, 1990s–2000s. Recalls 95V237, 98V019 and 02V042 (268,740 2001 Ram pickups) describe the generator cable or fuse loosening at the power distribution center, with arcing and a possible engine compartment fire.
• Kia Sedona 2020 (20V399, 5,385). The alternator B+ terminal nut may not have been tightened properly, and arcing may result.

A few describe a fire with the engine off. GM’s 1999 recall of 1998–1999 Cadillac Seville (99V070) says a short “can develop in the generator, even when the engine is off”, and its 1993 Saturn recall (93V132, 352,833 cars) warns of an underhood fire “with or without the engine running”. Nissan and Infiniti replaced alternators on 1997–1998 Maxima, I30 and Q45 models (02V171, 161,000) because a damaged diode could melt the plastic housing. None of these older records carries NHTSA’s park-outside flag. For fires in general see our car fire statistics.

Starters that overheat or catch fire

A starter draws a very large current for a few seconds. If it keeps drawing it, because the engine will not turn over or a relay sticks, it heats up. Of the 18 car starter recalls, 16 name a fire risk, about 1.9 million vehicles with overlap. Several are about what happens when the driver keeps trying to start the car. Mercedes-Benz recalled 307,629 2015–2017 C-Class, CLA, E-Class, GLA and GLC models in 2017:

“In the event that the engine or transmission cannot turn over, the starting current limiter may overheat from the repeated attempts of the starter motor attempting to start the vehicle.”NHTSA recall record 17V114, Mercedes-Benz, nhtsa.gov

Dealers fit an extra fuse in the starter line; 99% are reported repaired.

Hyundai has two starter fire recalls with different causes. In 2024 it recalled 90,907 2015–2016 Genesis, 2017–2019 Genesis G80 and G90 and 2019 G70 sedans (24V107) because water may enter the starter solenoid and short, which “can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving”; dealers install a relay kit in the engine junction box, and 70% are reported repaired. Its 2025 recall of 135,386 2024–2025 Santa Fe SUVs (25V659) is about a crash: the B+ terminal cover on the starter may be installed improperly and can short in a crash. Dealers inspect and reinstall the cover; 87% are reported repaired.

Vehicle descriptions are NHTSA’s own summary wording; “repaired” is the share the manufacturer reports as fixed, and new campaigns start near zero. Source: NHTSA recalls file and US DOT completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

BMW’s chain of starter recalls

Read in order, BMW’s starter records describe a fix that did not hold, a second cause and an expansion:

1. 24V576 (August 2024, 105,588 vehicles). 2019–2020 X5, X7, 2020 3 Series, X6, 2020–2021 7 Series and 2020 8 Series. If the starter fails, repeated attempts to start the car can overload and overheat it. The remedy was a software update; 87% are reported repaired.
2. 25V644 (September 2025, 145,102). 2020 340i, X6, 2020–2025 840i, 2020–2022 740Li, 2019–2020 X7 and X5, same failure. This time dealers replace the starter, and the record says it includes vehicles repaired under 24V576, whose owners need the repair again. 59% are reported repaired.
3. 25V636 (September 2025, 199,674). 2019–2021 330i, 2019–2022 Z4, 2020–2022 530i, X3, X4 and Toyota Supra, 2021–2022 430i and 2022 230i. A different cause: the starter relay may corrode, overheat and short circuit. Owners are told to park outside; 60% are reported repaired.
4. 26V056 (January 2026, 87,394). 2021–2024 3 Series, 4 Series (some body styles to 2023), 5 Series xDrive and X3, 2021–2023 X4 and Supra, 2022–2023 2 Series Coupe and 2021–2022 Z4: the starter may overheat and catch fire “due to wear on an internal component”. Letters went out in July 2026, and 32% are reported repaired so far.
5. 26V441 (July 2026, 29,119). The relay corrosion of 25V636 again, now in plug-in hybrids: 2016–2018 330e, 2018–2020 530e and 2017–2019 740Le xDrive. Park outside; letters were mailed September 30, 2026, so no repair rate is reported yet.

BMW filed 25V636 and 26V056 for the Toyota Supra as well, and the 26V056 record gives Toyota’s customer-service number too. A 2021–2022 X3, X4, Z4, 430i, 530i or Supra, or a 2021 330i, may be in both. Across the four campaigns with repair data, about 212,000 recall notices are not yet reported repaired. See our BMW recalls page for every campaign.

When the recall is about a car that won’t start

A car that won’t start is almost always a worn battery, starter or connection, not a recall. A few records do name a no-start: Toyota’s 1998 recall of 1995–1997 Lexus LS400 and SC400 (98V016) says road splash with de-icing salt can short the starter’s magnetic switch, causing “a starter motor no-start condition or an underhood fire”, and Volvo’s 2005 recall of 2005 S80 and XC90 (05V529) says a battery terminal touching the starter solenoid may short, so the car may not start and smoke may appear.

The Mercedes and BMW records add a practical point: their fire risk comes from repeated attempts to start the car. If a car under one of these recalls won’t start, stop cranking and call the dealer. GM’s 2000 recall of 1994–1995 Skylark, Grand Am and Achieva models (00V287, 699,617) warns that holding the key in “start” when the starter fails to engage can melt the ignition switch. Our ignition switch recalls guide covers GM’s later switch recalls, and the car battery recalls guide covers battery and cable faults that cut power.

Which ones say park outside

Three car recalls in these two groups carry NHTSA’s park-outside flag, all starter recalls: BMW 25V636 and 26V441 and Hyundai/Genesis 24V107. NHTSA’s BMW record states it plainly:

“Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is complete.”NHTSA recall record 25V636, BMW, nhtsa.gov

The other starter fire recalls and all car alternator recalls do not carry the flag, and none in either group is flagged do-not-drive. Our park-outside recall list covers every component.

What to do if your car has one

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with our VIN decoder. Model names are not enough: Chrysler’s recalls depend on the engine and alternator size, and BMW’s on build dates.
2. Park outside if the notice says so, until the repair is done.
3. Don’t keep cranking a recalled car that won’t start; call the dealer.
4. Ask whether a later recall applies. BMW 25V644 recalls cars already repaired under 24V576, and Chrysler filed three campaigns for the same alternator. A service bulletin is not a recall.
5. Report a stall or a burning smell in a complaint to NHTSA. The Chrysler recall started with 14 complaints.

Our car electrical problems guide lists the warning signs of a charging fault and the models with the most complaints.

Recall figures are PlainVIN’s analysis of NHTSA’s files and update when we refresh the data. “Reported repaired” is the automaker’s figure; recalls filed in 2026 usually have little or none yet. Car-only counts, and the stall, fire and park-outside counts, are PlainVIN’s own reading of each record; a recall can be in more than one group and vehicles overlap. This guide is general information, not mechanical advice for a specific vehicle.