On September 6, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) releases a news on its website that BMW (China) Automobile Trading Co., Ltd. filed a recall program on September 5, planning to recall 142,754 imported vehicles manufactured from September 7, 2011 to April 30, 2016.
The recall covers vehicles whose fuel tank manufacturing process fluctuates and the design tolerances are insufficient, which may result in cracking of the fuel tank’s upper processing port cover after using for some time, thereby causing fuel leakage when the vehicle is filled with fuel and posing a safety hazard.
BMW China will test the fuel tank pressure loss of vehicles recalled by leakage detectors, and replace the fuel tanks that fail the test free of charge, so as to eliminate potential safety hazards.
It is decided to recall imported BMW 116i, 118i, 120i, M2, M235i, M3, M4 and ActiveHybrid 3 vehicles, etc. Because of the supply of spare parts, BMW 3 Series sedans will be recalled from September 6, 2021, while other models will be recalled from October 29, 2021.
BMW hasn’t answered to what parts supply shortage has hindered recall program. Notably, BMW CFO Nicolas Peter told the media in August, “We think production in the second half of the year to remain subject to chip shortages and expect to produce and sell around 70,000 to 90,000 fewer cars in 2021. “
SAMR also announces some emergency measures. Car owners are advised not to fill up more than 3/4 of the fuel gauge before getting the recall service, as this may increase the load on the fuel tank and induce damage. If the fuel smell is detected inside the vehicle or the fuel leak is observed outside the vehicle, an authorized BMW dealer should be contacted immediately for repair.
Some automakers also submit recall programs for some cars to China State Administration for Market Regulation. Porsche (China) Automobile Co., Ltd. recalled 94 Cayenne cars imported to China from 2018 to 2021 in July due to the potential risk of losing control. Tesla submits the recall plan to SAMR in June, claiming that it would carry out online software updates for assisted driving.
