Intermittent lights reduce warnings to other motorists of the driver’s intentions, increasing the risk of a crash. BMW says it has not received any reports, nor is it aware, of any accidents or injuries related to the safety defect. The recall mirrors an earlier one on for Model Year 2002-2005 3 Series taillights – NHTSA 11V-438.

The problem started with 2008 models on Hella supplied light assembles for a mid-cycle freshening of the 5 Series. Shortly after the introduction of the 5 Series sedan, BMW had warranty claims for bulb failures of the rear lights in the U.S. market. BMW said it started an engineering process to improve the quality of the lights.

In April 2008, BMW updated the rear lamp’s connector with a lengthened the ground pin within the rear lamp’s bulb carrier connector housing to improve the contact between it and the wiring harness mating socket connector.

During the first half of 2013, BMW decided that a redesigned bulb carrier, released as a spare part, not a recall, would be improve longevity. In July 2013, a modified rear lamp carrier, consisting of an integrated secondary ground cable, was introduced as a spare part. Discussions also took place then about possible additional actions within the U.S. market.

BMW said that while it does not believe a safety defect exists, it is recalling the cars anyway. While such language is likely lawyer dictated, the Bavarians have a precarious relationship with U.S. safety regulators. Previously BMW was fined by NHTSA for covering up safety defects.

Under U.S. regulations, an automaker has five working days to recall a vehicle once a safety defect is discovered. NHTSA’s examination of 16 BMW recalls issued in 2010 found