Once again computer programming causes a safety recall.
After queries from safety agencies in Japan and the U.S., BMW is recalling 2005-2007 model 7-Series sedans because the doors can fly open without warning. A software programming error on the so-called Comfort Access and Soft Close Automatic options does not properly latch the doors. A bump in the road or movement of a passenger can suddenly pop the door open.
In a required filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, BMW said that it was first made aware of the problem by the Japanese Ministry of Land and Infrastructure Transport in 2007 after complaints about two 7-Series vehicles in Japan. BMW AG reviewed the information and concluded that the issue was not safety-related.
NHTSA also queried BMW about the door problem several times in the ensuing years. BMW maintained that the problem was covered by a service bulletin, but NHTSA apparently forced a recall.
Last February, NHTSA levied a $3 million fine on BMW of North America, after the German automaker failed to comply with requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act that BMW report safety defects and so called non-compliance problems to the federal government in a timely manner, which means five days after discovery.
The BMW scofflaw penalty is the biggest since Toyota Motor Corp paid almost $50 million in fines because of its cover-up of safety issues that ultimately resulted in recalls of millions of Toyota and Lexus vehicles in 2009 and 2010 for unintended acceleration.
See:
- NHTSA Forces BMW 7-Series Recall for Electronic Shifter Rollaways
- NHTSA Upgrades BMW 7 Series Rollaway Investigation to Engineering Analysis. Recall Likely Next for Electronic Shifter
- BMW Follows Toyota by Paying $3 Million Fine for not Reporting Safety Defects within Five Days to NHTSA
