BMW recalls 489,000 cars due to defects

BMW is recalling 489,000 vehicles worldwide due to a possible engine-bolt defect, widening a repair programme that was initiated in China.

No accidents or injuries have been reported related to the fault in some 6-cylinder engines, said Bernhard Santer, a spokesman for the Munich-based carmaker. Vehicles affected include 156,000 cars in North America, as well as 232,098 vehicles in China that were announced for recall within the past month.

In affected cars, a light may come on advising the driver to have the engine checked, Santer said. The vehicle can still be driven to the nearest repair garage with reduced engine power.

Recalls are increasing worldwide as regulators tighten scrutiny and carmakers seek to avoid harm to their reputations after questions about whether flaws are disclosed soon enough.

Toyota issued its second- biggest recall announcement ever earlier this month. General Motors said yesterday it anticipates taking a first-quarter charge of $1.3bn (€950bn) primarily for the cost of a programme to replace ignition switches.

BMW’s top-of-the-line 7-Series and upmarket 5-Series sedans and the X3 and X5 SUVs are the main models equipped with 6-cylinder engines. Santer didn’t provide details on the models involved.

Herbert Diess, the head of BMW’s research and development, said last month that its data on breakdowns and guarantee services show vehicle quality is at “a good level”. While the number of recalls has “hardly changed” in recent years, “the number of affected vehicles per recall went up”.

Such increases may become an industry trend because of widening standardisation of technology and components used across a range of vehicles, chief executive Norbert Reithofer said.

— Bloomberg