BMW orders recall

Munich-based German carmaker BMW has launched its biggest recall action in its recent history, the company acknowledged on Monday. It said that 1.3 million vehicles world-wide would have to be checked to fix a fault that may potentially lead to fire.

"In order to carry out a quality control measure, BMW is recalling all BMW 5 and 6 series models of the previous generation, built between 2003 and 2010 and still on the market, for repair at authorized dealers," the statement said.

The company pointed to potential problems with the battery cable cover in those models, saying they might have been mounted incorrectly.

Safety concerns

"This can result in the electrical system malfunctioning, the vehicle failing to start and - in some cases - to charring or fire," BMW added.

In Germany alone, BMW is recalling 290,000 vehicles in what it says is the company's biggest single recall action in its recent history. In January of this year, the luxury carmaker was forced to reinspect 235,000 Mini compacts worldwide.

BMW said it was unaware of any injuries resulting from the cable fault that prompted the company to launch the current recall. It asked owners to visit repair workshops for a 30-minute refit. It did not specify how much the recall would cost the auto maker.

hg / gsw (AFP, dpa)