BMW is recalling 56 000 X5 sport-utility vehicles and 38 700 Minis worldwide to fix transmission and brake problems.
BMW is recalling 56 000 X5 sport-utility vehicles and 38 700 Minis worldwide to fix transmission and brake problems.
CARtoday.com reported early last month that BMW was notifying owners of Mini Cooper cars that a faulty cable, which could make it difficult to change gears, will have to be replaced. About 200 Mini Coopers in South Africa were affected.
The cable had worked loose in fewer than 10 per cent of the Cooper models, making it impossible for drivers to change gears, but BMW said the problem was not dangerous.
“In rare instances, the shift cable can come adrift, making it difficult to shift gears, although the car can still be driven. The solution involves fitting a fastening clip. The procedure takes a few minutes and is undertaken by a Mini service centre.’’
The said the X5 has a problem with the brake pedal shaft, which could result in a sudden loosening of the pedal and loss of brake power at low speeds or while parking. The problem was discovered during internal quality reviews.
BMW spokesman Richard Carter said that the 220 X5 owners in South Africa were being contacted to bring in their vehicles for inspection. He said testing on the X5 had shown the brake pedal had “too much play in it”.
“If there had been a danger to life or limb, we would have issued a public appeal to the owners, rather than go through the dealers,” spokesman Wieland Bruch said. The X5 brake fault “doesn’t happen suddenly and drivers could use the hand brake in an emergency,” he said.
The newspaper said the problem would be fixed by inserting a pin in the X5. The affected X5s were made between August 1999 and February 2001. It is estimated that the X5 recall will cost about R24 million, while the Mini repairs could cost R39 million.