Battery problems in BMWs flagged by insurer

While the Germans have long been known for their fastidious and dependable car manufacturing skills, there has been a rare problem recently reported that could affect both car sellers and drivers alike. At the end of March, it was revealed that a battery problem that could lead to car fires has forced BMW to recall in excess of 1.3 million cars worldwide.

With 100,000 of these cars being driven or sold in the UK, the news was immediately flagged by Ashley Peters, managing director at Staveley Head insurance, who said of the issue: “Although a small number of cases have been reported, it is nevertheless a safety issue that can be corrected in minimal time. We urge drivers of the affected vehicles to make contact with their nearest BMW authorised repairer.”

BMW asserted that the owners of 109,000 5-Series and 6-Series car models would eventually be tracked be contacted in the next few weeks in order to arrange a visit to their local dealership. The firm did, however, said that no accidents or injuries had been reported as yet.

The issue only came to light during the testing and development process that all BMW vehicles go through, as well as a lot of customer feedback. BMW had discovered that they would need to run a product recall because of an issue with a battery cable cover that had been incorrectly fitted in a small number of cases.

A spokesman for BMW said: “In rare cases this could result in owners not being able to start their vehicle. In extremely rare cases the electrical system could malfunction, leading to a scorching of the boot floor and a fire may result.”