BMW announces a recall of 32,000 vehicles to replace potentially faulty electric auxiliary water pumps that can overheat and cause a vehicle fire. The Munich-based automaker says the recall applies to 2008-2011 5 Series, 5 Series Gran Turismo, 7 Series, X5 and X6 models that have 8 or 12-cylinder turbocharged engines. BMW found at least 102 cases of pump failures worldwide, including two engine-compartment fires which drew the recall process. For Detroit News, BMW said it is unaware of any crashes or injuries as a result of the condition. The auxiliary pump helps cool the turbocharger during some driving conditions and in some cases can fail, causing the circuit board to overheat potentially leading to a fire. BMW said in most cases drivers will be alerted by a warning message on the instrumental cluster during driving. BMW first discovered the issue in June 2009 on test vehicles. In April 2010, a smoldered electrical cable of the water pump was found on a BMW-owned vehicle. Dealers will replace the electric auxiliary water pump and BMW owners will be notified starting next month. mah!
