BMW recalls 569,830 cars in N. America due to electrical problem

REUTERS - BMW is recalling 569,830 of its vehicles in the United States and Canada due the chance of an electrical failure that may cause the cars to stall unexpectedly, U.S. regulators and the company said.

The recall affects Bayerische Motoren Werke AG's popular 3-Series sedans, convertibles, coupes and sports wagons as well as its 1-Series coupes and convertibles and Z4 two-seat roadsters.

A battery cable connection with a fuse box on the cars may degrade over time, which could cause the engine to stall because of a loss of electric power, increasing the risk of a crash, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a report issued on Monday.

BMW on Tuesday said that there was one crash, in Canada, reported to the company related to the issue, which did not cause injury. There have been no reported crashes or injuries in the United States, BMW said.

BMW is recalling 504,545 cars in the United States and another 65,285 in Canada, the company said.

The vehicles involved in the recall in both countries include the 3-Series sedans, coupes, convertibles and sports wagons from the 2007-2011 model years, the 1-Series coupes and convertibles from model years 2008-2012 and the Z4 vehicles from model years 2009-2011.

Among the recalls in Canada are 1,800 X1 compact crossover vehicles from the model year 2012. The X1 was not yet on sale in the U.S. market in the period covered by the recalls, BMW said.

(Reporting By Bernie Woodall in New York; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)