BMW Recalls

The brake lamps in these vehicles are controlled by a switch activated by the movement of the brake pedal. This switch could fail internally, causing it to remain either in the "brake lamps off" position or in the "brake lamps on" position If this happens, the brake lamps either will not operate or will be continuously illuminated, regardless of brake pedal position.

On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 18-inch tires (18-inch tires are standard equipment on the M5 and optional equipment on the 7-Series models), the machine used to mount and inflate the tires on the wheels at the assembly plant may have damaged the sidewall of one or more tires. The damaged area could weaken to the point where a sudden loss of air from the tire could occur. Handling and control would be drastically affected, increasing the risk of a crash.

During assembly of these sport utility vehicles, the lower end of the steering column spindle may not have been inserted completely into the coupling. In such a case, the fastening bolt used to secure the connection may not completely engage the spindle within the coupling. During driving, it would be possible for the spindle to disconnect, resulting in a loss of steering capability and increasing the risk of a crash.

On certain sport utility vehicles, there is a plastic carrier to which the oil filter housing is attached. Oil supply and return lines are attached to the filter housing. Over time, this carrier could sag slightly. If this happens, one of the oil lines, which are armored with steel mesh, could come into contact and chafe a steel brake line located immediately underneath. Continued chaffing can cause the anticorrosion coating of this brake line to fail, allowing the brake line to rust through and leading to loss of brake fluid, failure of the rear brake circuit, extended stoppage distances, and possible crash.

On certain sport utility vehicles, over an extended period of time, abrasion particles could deposit on the electrical contacts within the transmission gear position indicator switch, causing a disruption of the electric current through the contacts. If the disruption occurs when the vehicle is stationary with the transmission in the Neutral or Park positions, the transmission will switch automatically into the emergency program, which is displayed in the instrument cluster via a warning lamp and a message, "TRANS. FAIL-SAFE PROG." In this case, the vehicle can be driven in lower gears only with limited engine output. If this problem occurs, the ability to maintain speed in traffic and/or accelerate could be greatly diminished, possibly leading to a crash.

On certain passenger vehicles, the engine auxiliary/cooling fan operation, including variable speed, is electronically controlled. Failure of the fan motor can cause the electrical circuitry of the fan control unit to overload and fail, causing the fan to stop operating. If this were to occur, engine overheating and subsequent engine damage could result. In addition, it is possible for the failure of the electrical circuitry to cause a fire in the fan control unit, which is mounted on the fan and located in the front of the engine compartment.

On certain passenger vehicles, two screws that secure the parking brake cable mounting bracket to the backing plate on one or both sides of the vehicle were not tightened properly. As a result, the screws could loosen and eventually fall into the parking brake drum. If this were to happen, the cable mounting bracket would no longer be fixed to the backing plate and the parking brake could no longer be applied on that side of the vehicle. It is also possible that a screw could lodge within the parking brake drum, impairing the free movement of the drum. This would produce noise and could cause the parking brake on that side to lock up while driving.

During the tire mounting process on certain passenger vehicles (except M5) built with standard (non-sport) suspensions and equipped with Continental ContiTouringContact CH95 EcoPlus tires, size 225/65R16 95H, having DOT codes 4001, 4101, or 4201, the outer sidewall surface of these tires may have been cut by a sharp edge. Operation of the vehicle over a long period of time could lead to a reduction of inflation pressure. Continued driving with low inflation pressure in the tire could ultimately result in damage to the tire, affect vehicle handling and control, and could in some cases result in a vehicle crash.

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, DURING THE STRUT MOUNT MANUFACTURING PROCESS, THE THRUST BEARING WAS NOT PROPERLY POSITIONS AND SECURED. IF THE SUSPENSION IS FULLY UNLOADED, THE FRONT STRUT COULD SEPARATE FROM THE UPPER MOUNT.

On these sport utility vehicles, the lower steering shaft coupling includes a plastic collar which fits over the lower steering rack input shaft. This collar is pushed down onto the steering rack and tightened during assembly. On some of the affected vehicles, the collar may not have been pushed down fully onto the rack at the assembly plant. If this occurs, operation of the vehicle, especially in rough road conditions, can cause the clearance between the collar and the steering rack to increase to the point where the input shaft can separate from the rack, resulting in a loss of steering capability.