BMW vehicles equipped with 6-cylinder engines are being recalled, more than 486,000 world-wide, because a defect could cause stalling or engine damage, the automaker said in a news release. The company filed the recall with the National Highway Traffic Administration last Wednesday.
The recall affects vehicles powered by N55 inline six-cylinder gasoline engines equipped with VANOS and Valvetronic technologies. 1 Series, 3 Series, 5 Series, and 5 Series Gran Turismo, X3, X5, X6 and Z4 models from 2010 to 2012 model years are included and the 2012 6 Series.
For the recall, BMW will replace the four bolts suspected of causing the problem on each unit.
The New York Times reported action comes almost two years after BMW began fixing the same models in China, according to a report the automaker filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Bloomberg reported BMW’s investigation found a potentially defective bolt lived in the company’s VANOS variable valve timing system. The potential recall, at that point, was apparently limited to Chinese-market cars, with the company filing a recall application with Chinese officials.
In rare cases, the bolts holding the VANOS unit housing may become loose, or, in “extreme" cases, break. A broken bolt may trigger an engine warning light or send the engine into safe mode if the VANOS unit is compromised. Ignoring the issue could cause “no start conditions,” stalling and further engine damage.
BMW recommends that owners observing engine warning lights should arrange for service.