BMW Recalls 500,000 Vehicles for Stalling Issues

BMW is recalling about 500,000 vehicles in the United States including recent model year 3 Series sedans, the 1 Series coupe and the Z4 sports car because a battery cable can fail causing the cars to stall unexpectedly.

According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the recall includes 3 series sedans, wagons, convertibles and coupes from the 2007 through 2011 model years, 1 Series coupes and convertibles from 2008 through 2012 model years and the Z4 from 2009 to 2011. So far, the German automaker has documented one crash in Canada caused by this problem, but has no record of incidents in the United States.

Problem With Battery Cable

In all of these recalled cars, the battery is located in the trunk and there is a long battery cable from the battery to the fuse box, located between the glove compartment and the dash panel. BMW officials say both the connector at the end of he cable and the corresponding terminal on the fuse box, are coated with tin. This connection can deteriorate over time, which can eventually break the electric connection.

The problem could cause a flickering of the display in the instrument cluster or cause the engine to shut down briefly. In extreme cases, the electrical system may be completely interrupted causing engine stalling and increase the risk of a crash. BMW filed a document with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which states that less than 1 percent of the recalled vehicles are actually affected by the problem.

BMW will notify owners and dealers will replace the battery cable connector free of charge. Days before this BMW recall, they announced that it was recalling more than 30,000 of its eight-cylinder X5 model SUVs to fix an oil leak that could affect their power brakes.

Auto Product Liability Issues

Vehicle stalling can definitely be a serious problem. If a car suddenly stalls on the freeway, it exposes drivers and passengers to significant dangers, including getting hit by other vehicles, which may not be able to slow down or stop in time to avoid the stranded auto. Such stalling can cause serious problems especially during nighttime when visibility can be limited. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of an auto engine stalling, please contact an experienced California personal injury lawyer, who has successfully handled auto products liability cases against large automakers.