German carmaker BMW has decided to recall almost 570,000 cars in the U.S. and Canada because a battery cable connector can fail and cause the engines to stall.
The recall affects popular 3-Series sedans, wagons, convertibles and coupes from the 2007 through 2011 model years.
Also included are 1-Series coupes and convertibles from 2008 through 2012, and the Z4 sports car from 2009 through 2011.
The cable connectors and a fuse box terminal in the cars can degrade over time, and that can break the electrical connection between the trunk-mounted battery and the fuse box at the front.
If that happens, the cars could lose electrical power, causing the engines to stall unexpectedly, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in documents posted on its website Saturday.
BMW says in documents sent to NHTSA that the problem stems from movement between the battery cable and the fuse box.
The company says it knows of one minor collision in Canada due to the problem, but no injuries.
BMW says dealers will replace the battery cable connector and secure it for free. It will start notifying owners in March.
The 3-Series is BMW’s most popular car in the U.S., dominating the small luxury car market. The company sold nearly 100,000 of them in the U.S. last year.
This is hardly the first time in recent years BMW owners have face stalling issues, Forbes reports.
Examining the NHTSA website, Forbes reported nearly 38 complaints about engines simply ceasing to work, all naming BMW 335 and 535 models between the years 2007 and 2012.
Those complaints mostly complained about the ‘high-pressure fuel pump’ used in the model’s engines.
In October 2012, BMW announced an “emissions recall” of 130,000 vehicles equipped with the pumps.
In that case, BMW claimed it was not aware of any incidents in which the engine failure had caused death or injury.
BMW announced an even bigger recall in March 2012, when they recalled nearly 1.3 million of its 5 series and 6 series cars built between 2003 and 2012.
The issue then was a battery cable cover incorrectly mounted in the truck and prone to cause ignition failure when the key was turned, and could even cause the system to catch fire.
This most recent recall affects more than 504,000 cars in the U.S. and another 65,000 in Canada.
BMW, Toyota and other automakers have experienced large recalls in recent years because they use common parts on multiple models in order to save money.
Owners can call BMW with questions at (800) 525-7417.
