BMW New Zealand has confirmed a string of luxury vehicles have been caught up in a global recall affecting thousands of vehicles globally.
The issue regards an electronics issue that can result in an inconsistent brake pedal and the temporary disabling of ABS, according to the recall notice.
"In very rare cases, this can increase the operating force required to actuate the brake. In addition, other brake control functions, such as ABS and Dynamic Stability Control, are not available," BMW's recall notice said.
"You will be informed before or during the journey if this signal interference occurs by the brake warning lights in the vehicle cockpit lighting up, and the following Check Control message on the central display: 'It is possible to continue driving. Brake system and driving stabilization. Avoid abrupt braking as much as possible. Drive slowly. Higher pedal force may be required for braking. Have this checked by the nearest BMW Service Partner'."
This has resulted in 7168 vehicles globally being involved in the safety recall, including the BMW 520i and 740i sedans, along with three battery-electric models - i5, i7 and iX1 - as well as the X1, X5, X6, X7 and XM SUVs, all of which were built between 2022-2023.
Drivers will be alerted to the issue by the brake warning light in the instrument cluster and a message will appear on the central display.
BMW said if drivers see the warning message, they should follow the instructions provided and contact their nearest BMW dealer.
A BMW New Zealand spokesperson told Stuff there had been no known local accidents or injuries caused by the issue.
The spokesperson said owners can get the issue fixed for free which would take about 3.5 hours per vehicle.
"An internal quality check revealed that in some vehicles signal problems in the brake system electronics could occur. As a result, in very rare cases the required operating force of the brake can increase," said the spokesperson.
"The driver is informed before or during the journey if this signal fault occurs by lighting up the brake warning lamps in the dashboard and by displaying a check control message on the central screen. The vehicle is still controllable and can be braked."
It's not known how many vehicles in New Zealand were impacted by the recall.
"We are working closely with our dealer partners to contact all affected customers to explain the issue and schedule a booking for the installation of the replacement part," the spokesperson said.
