500000 BMWs, Volkswagens Recalled

It’s been announced by both BMW and Volkswagen that there are possible technical problems with some of their models, and now more than 500,000 cars have been recalled. BMW is recalling about 235,000 of its Mini brand vehicles, and Volkswagen is recalling about 299,000 cars.

Of the 235,000 being recalled by manufacturer BMW, almost 30,000 Mini Coopers have been affected in the UK and about 89,000 in the US. This recall follows months of complaints from motorists who say their vehicles have burst into flames, usually while they are unattended or parked. Others complained of smoke and flames coming from under the bonnet.

BMW originally insisted that there wasn’t a specific problem, but the company confirmed in an unexpected statement that officials worldwide were investigating the issue. The probe will be centred around the Cooper S and John Cooper Works versions of the car, which were manufactured between March 2006 and January 2011. Apparently the malfunction has to do with a computer circuit board that controls the turbocharger cooling system. The water pump can begin smouldering if the system fails, which could lead to a fire in the engine.

In the UK, there are only seven known cases of this issue, but only two are being investigated by the VOSA, the motoring watchdog. However, twelve of these incidents are being probed in the US. In the coming weeks, Mini Cooper S and John Cooper Works owners will be sent a recall notice.

A spokesman for Mini insisted that the cars are still safe to drive, as there is a very low chance of an incident happening. In the worst cases, heat could build up in the wiring, causing smouldering. It could potentially cause a fire, but they aren’t aware of any injuries or accidents related to the issue. What’s important is that owners simply go to their dealer when they get the recall notice and get a new water pump if they have a problem.

A VOSA spokesman confirmed that they have received two reports of fires in Mini Coopers, and they are investigating the issue with the manufacturer. A spokesman for Mini also confirmed that it is liaising with the motoring watchdog and its US equivalent. They will conduct a detailed investigation into any issues that customers alert them to, he added.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Volkswagen, which is the biggest car maker in Europe by sales, says that the company started to recall vehicles with diesel engines last October due to potential issues caused by cracks in fuel-injection systems. The car owners have been notified. The models affected include VW’s Tiguan, Jetta, Golf, Passat and others built since 2009; while other brands affected include Seat, Audi and Skoda.