BMW recalls 312,000 cars in UK 09 | 05 | 2018
BMW IS RECALLING 312,000 cars in the UK due a fault that can see them stall unexpectedly, leaving them without lights or engine power. The action follows an accident in 2016 in which a driver died after swerving to avoid a stalled BMW.
This latest recall follows earlier action which saw 36,000 BMW cars in the UK attended to over the same issue. Now, however, the German car maker has admitted more cars are potentially affected than previously thought.
Owners affected by the recall will receive notification from BMW. The work will be carried our free-of-charge at a BMW dealership.
The real affects petrol and diesel versions of the BMW 1 Series, 3 Series, Z4 and X1, made between March 2007 and August 2011. It’s worth highlighting that the same fault prompted a recall in 2013 of over 500,000 vehicles in the USA, Canada, South Africa and Australia.
The recall also comes in the wake of an investigation by the BBC's Watchdog which indicated the problem was more wide-ranging than was first thought.
"We now recognise there may have been some cases of similar power supply issues in vehicles not covered by the original recall,” a BMW statement said. “In order to reassure customers with concerns about the safety of their vehicles, we are voluntarily extending the recall.
“We are therefore announcing today that we will take the proactive step of expanding the existing UK recall to cover all vehicles potentially affected by the power supply issue."
BMWs affected by the electrical fault can suffer from deteriorating battery cables, which in turn lead to a loss of power and lights. The fault has been linked to an accident which saw a motorist die after he swerved to avoid a broken-down BMW. Retired Gurkha Narayan Gurung was killed on a dark A-road near Guildford in December 2016, after he crashed into a tree while trying to avoid a stalled BMW.
Related: Scots dealer is BMW UK No 1
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Jim McGill