BMW recalls 1.3m luxury cars

BMW has been stung by a 1.3 million vehicle global recall. BMW is recalling all models of the previous generation 5-Series and 6-Series, built from 2003 to 2010, because of a faulty battery cable cover.

In a worst-case scenario, the car could catch fire. Spokesman for BMW Australia, Piers Scott, says exactly 10,000 cars are affected in this country. "We are contacting all owners, via dealerships, immediately,'' he says.

"We haven't any reports of problems and I guess this could be seen as being overly-cautious but this is the best approach.'' Scott says issues like this reinforce cars should be serviced through authorised BMW dealerships "however, we will be alerting all service channels to capture all owners''.

"The problem centres on wiring that is not easily visible,'' he says. It is the second million-car recall in two years, following Toyota's massive 9-million car recall in 2009-2010 for alleged sticking accelerator pedals.

BMW says no accidents or injuries have occurred because of the issue, but there is the potential that affected models may fail to start, or worse, catch fire. Owners will be sent a letter and will be asked to visit a BMW dealer for a free, 30-minute repair session.

The company says in some instances, the battery cable cover - which is inside the boot - may be incorrectly mounted. It says this can result in the electrical system malfunctioning, the vehicle failing to start and, in some cases, to charring or fire.

BMW last year was penalised $3 million for failing to quickly report safety defects to the US vehicle safety authority, the NHTSA. Recalls of more than 1-million vehicles are rare. The latest big recall was Toyota that in 2009-2010 recalled about 9-million Toyota and Lexus vehicles worldwide for defects associated with unintended acceleration.

This year recalls have been announced by companies including General Motors which in the US is to repair problems with the steering system that could result in a loss of steering. There are no known complaints about this issue. Porsche is also recalling about 1200 911 Carrera S coupes from the 2012 model year in the US because the fuel line may become disconnected, leading to fuel loss and possible fire.

TOP 10 RECALLS