BMW recalls 11K over bad software.
By Andrew Hulse
BMW issued a recall for 5 and 7 series luxury sedans on Friday. The recall is caused by improper software being installed.
The recall from BMW group affects certain 2012-2017 model year 5 and 7 series sedans with high performance tri-turbo diesels. Fully developed software was installed on the wrong models so the software itself is not wrong, just on the wrong car.
A company statement said “In the course of internal tests, the BMW Group has discovered that a correctly developed software update was mistakenly assigned to certain unsuitable model-versions”. They take note to state the proper authorities have been notified.
BMW did not say what country the cars were in or if they were in multiple locations around the globe. The company denies some allegations of this being an emissions cheating software a la Volkswagen group. BMW will contact owners with the vehicles that have the wrong software and new software will be installed at no cost.
BMW has long denied any involvement in emissions cheating software, a scandal which has cost VW millions of dollars in buybacks and litigation.
The Tri-turbo diesels are revolutionary.
When BMW announced these tri-turbo diesels, everyone got very excited. Efficient, high power, high torque and quiet diesels should have been exactly what made them catch on in the United States. Once they were released, they kind of fell flat on their face. Anything that is not a diesel truck has not really caught on here in the USA.
Next: Electric Porsche 911: not this generation.
The Volkswagen scandal could be the diesel’s downfall.
BMW diesel vehicles, and all diesel vehicles have suffered from the fallout in the wake of the VW scandal aka “dieselgate”. In 2014 it was discovered that VW diesels were cheating on emissions tests which marred the reputation of diesels. BMW has escaped the fallout so far, as I mentioned above though, this has renewed some questions on whether the software installed is good. In my opinion, this scandal combined with EV tech was the start of diesels decline.
Check your VIN for recalls here on the NHSTA website.