BMW, Nissan To Recall More Than 165,000 Cars For Fuel Pump Defect

In a recent announcement, both Nissan Motor Co and BMW AG said they are issuing a recall order totalling more than 165,000 vehicles worldwide due to an issue with fuel pump components that were manufactured by Robert Bosch GmbH which supplies both automakers. 

A source told Reuters that the affected models are those made between 2014 and 2015 and that the defect could cause engine stalling or it failing to start. For Nissan vehicles sold in the United States and Canada, it concerns 95,031 units of the Rogue SUV, and roughly 70,500 BMW cars worldwide. This furthers the German outfit's recall tally following regulators in China found an electrical supply issue affecting 80,000 cars sold there.

According to documents filed with the U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the nickel plating could detach and block moving parts in the fuel pump. Neither Nissan nor BMW was previously aware of such a defect forming or knows of any injuries or accidents that have resulted from it. Both automakers also said that, in an affected car, a stalling engine is less likely than one that does not start, quelling fears of an emergency situation occuring while driving. 

Also according to NHTSA documents, July 2014 saw a spike in BMW warranty claims involving fuel pumps on certain models while in March 2014 Nissan identified a Rogue that failed to start due to a suspected faulty fuel pump.

BMW models affected in the United States include: 2014 228i Coupe, M235i Coupe, 320i, 320xi, 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi, ActiveHybrid 3, 328xi Sports Wagon, 428i Coupe, 428xi Coupe, 435i Coupe, 435xi Coupe, 428i Convertible, 428xi Convertible, 435i Convertible, 328xi Gran Turismo, 335xi Gran Turismo, and 2015 428i Gran Coupe, 428xi Gran Coupe, and 435i Gran Coupe vehicles.

The source could not identify models or incidences with this defect for vehicles sold outside the US, however, and is still unknown if this problem is serious and/or widespread enough to prompt a more far-reaching recall - namely in Malaysia. Hopefully, it is a location-specific problem that is isolated to units produced in a different spec to those found here. We'll have to wait and see. 

Both automakers are expected to start their recall programs to replace the fuel pump assembly - at no cost, of course - between April and early May 2015.