BMW announced that its former partner, Avtotor, is assembling BMW-branded vehicles in Russia without authorization. The German automaker exited the country in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine.
BMW stated these vehicles have not undergone official quality control or certification processes. Registrations for these unauthorized, Russian-built vehicles nearly tripled in 2025 compared to the previous year.
Avtotor is reportedly using leftover 2022 components and increasing its reliance on locally produced parts as original stocks dwindle. These manufacturing shifts have led to reported differences between the unauthorized units and official BMW models.