BMW AG said Saturday it will recall nearly 90,000 Mini Cooper cars built since 2006 over fire risks linked to failing auxiliary water pumps.
The German automaker said it will recall its 2007-2011 Mini Cooper S, 2008-2011 Mini Cooper S Clubman, 2009-2011 Mini Cooper S Convertible and several other versions built between November 2006 and January 2011.
The recall came after reports of 81 water pump failures and four engine fires worldwide since 2009. BMW will replace the vehicles' electric auxiliary water pumps and notify owners next month.
BMW has been investigating the issue since July 2009, when it had the first report of a failure of an electric auxiliary water pump. If the pump fails, an electronic circuit board can malfunction and overheat. Two engines caught fire in May and June 2010, and BMW named a task force in July 2010 to study the issue.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a preliminary investigation into the issue in October and had asked BMW for information in recent weeks. BMW said it is not aware of any injuries or crashes.––Paul Duchene
