BMW has a recall on the C Evolution electric maxi-scooter for a small but nasty problem: the front wheel can throw water onto an electrical plug, and the corrosion that follows can overheat the connection and raise the risk of a fire. NHTSA campaign 26V305 covers 116 bikes, model years 2017 and 2018, and the repair is free.
The recall was filed May 14, 2026, so this is not a new problem, and owner letters went out in July. It matters now because the C Evolution is a bike that changes hands quietly, and a used one may have missed the mail.
The short version
- Who is affected: 116 BMW C Evolution scooters, model years 2017 and 2018 (NHTSA’s campaign-wide count).
- The problem: water splashed by the front wheel can reach the plug on the 12V battery ground cable at the DC/DC converter. The contacts can corrode.
- The risk BMW reported to NHTSA: corrosion may cause overheating and increase the risk of a fire.
- The fix: free, at a dealer. Details below.
- Park it? NHTSA’s record does not tell owners to stop riding, and its park-it flags are both false.
What is actually wrong
The C Evolution runs on a large high-voltage battery, but like any electric vehicle it also has an ordinary 12-volt system for lights, electronics and controls. A DC/DC converter keeps that 12-volt battery topped up from the main pack. The recall is about the ground connection of that 12-volt battery at the converter.
BMW told NHTSA the front wheel may splash water onto the electrical plug connection of the converter’s 12V ground cable lug. Water on an electrical contact can corrode it, and a corroded contact has more resistance, which means heat. That is the chain in the record: splash, corrosion, overheating, possible fire.
It is worth being precise about what the recall does not say. It does not say the traction battery is defective, and it does not mention the high-voltage system at all. The identified circuit is the low-voltage ground connection.
What the free repair involves
According to NHTSA’s current record, dealers will:
- Replace the cable section with the ground cable lug using a repair cable kit.
- Check the 12V plug connector to the DC/DC converter.
- Replace additional sections of the wiring harness if corrosion is found on that connector.
That third step is conditional. The record does not promise every scooter gets new harness sections, only that the ones with corrosion do. All of it is free of charge.
How to find out if your scooter is included
The recall is limited to certain C Evolution scooters from model years 2017 and 2018, so the first step is the VIN.
- Find your 17-character VIN on the frame or your registration.
- Search it on NHTSA.gov/recalls. NHTSA says the affected VINs became searchable starting July 6, 2026.
- Or call BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 and ask about 26V305.
- Book the repair with a BMW Motorrad dealer that can service the C Evolution, and ask whether they have the repair cable kit before you ride in.
NHTSA says owner letters were mailed July 13, 2026. If you bought a used C Evolution after that, or moved, the letter may have gone to someone else, so a VIN search is the reliable check.
If you ride one in the meantime
NHTSA’s record does not tell owners to stop riding or to park the scooter outside, so there is no official instruction to do either. The risk it describes is a possible fire from an overheated connection.
Two things are reasonable without going beyond the record. If your scooter has been through a lot of wet weather and you have not had the recall done, book it soon. And if you notice a burning smell, melted plastic or any electrical oddity near the converter area, stop and call BMW rather than riding on. The record does not describe warning signs, so that is common-sense caution, not something BMW has said about this defect.
What the record doesn’t tell us
NHTSA’s page gives no number of crashes, fires or injuries tied to this problem, no count of scooters already repaired, and no repair time. Those gaps are normal for a campaign this small, but they mean nobody outside BMW can say how many of the 116 are still waiting.
Insurance, briefly
A recall repair is free, but a fire or electrical failure on an unrepaired bike is a different story. If you own one, ask your insurer or agent how an open safety recall is treated on your policy. Nothing in the recall addresses coverage.
Bottom line
If you own or are shopping for a 2017 or 2018 BMW C Evolution, run the VIN against NHTSA’s recall search or call BMW at 1-800-525-7417 and get the free wiring repair done. The problem is a corroding 12V ground plug, not the main battery.
References
- NHTSA recall campaign 26V305, BMW C Evolution (checked October 6, 2026) — filing date, affected model years, defect, consequence, remedy, owner letters and VIN-search date.