BMW has expanded its recall for 1.6 million diesel cars to rectify a potential fire risk, an endeavour that grows from 480,000 vehicles in mid-August for Europe and Asia. The recall comes after BMW’s investigation that found coolant leaks from the vehicle’s exhaust recirculation system, which could lead to the melting of the intake manifold and in extreme cases, fire.
The recall of the aforementioned 1.6 million vehicles involve four- and six-cylinder diesels produced between August 2010 and August 2017, while individual production periods may vary according to model, said BMW. This follows South Korea’s banning of approximately 20,000 BMWs from its roads after 27 cases of engine fires in the country as of August; that has risen to 40 cases, according to a Bloomberg report.
There was no detailed specification of the diesel models involved in this recall, however BMW said it will contact customers with the vehicles involved.
A previous fire risk-related recall was also issued by BMW for North America late last year, where 1.4 million vehicles were recalled over two separate matters. In the North American recall, the first issue was due to the heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve which was at risk of a short circuit; this involved 40,561 vehicles including the 2008-2011 1 Series and the 2007-2011 3 and 5 Series, X3, X5 and Z4.
The second matter was for 672,775 units of the 2006-2011 3 Series, where wiring and electrical connectors for the climate control system could overheat and melt, and which could result in a fire if the car was left unattended.
