BMW recalls sedans in US over rear lamps issues

The US National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) along with BMW of North American have announced two separate recalls, affecting nearly a quarter of a million BMW sedans and SUVs. The first recall affects 241,000 of the 2002-2005 model year BMW 325i, 325xi, 330i, and 330xi sedans manufactured from Sept. 2001 through March 2005, according to media reports. The rear lamps the brake lights and turn signals of the cars may suddenly stop working, increasing the likelihood of a rear-end collision. Two investigations conducted by the NHTSA’s Office of Defect Investigations in 2009 suggest the issue may lie with the grounding wire in electrical circuits to the rear lamp assemblies. The second recall centres on 2009 BMW X5 sport-utility vehicles equipped with diesel engines that may have a faulty fuel filter heater. The heaters, which are supposed to warm the diesel fuel on cold days, may experience an electrical overload that causes the unit to remain on even with SUV’s ignition in the “off” position. This may drain the X5′s battery, or worse yet, overheat the component and lead to a vehicle fire. Approximately 2,120 of those X5 SUVs are suspected of having a faulty fuel filter heater.