BMW Installed The Wrong Engine Software On 11,700 Diesel Vehicles

Affected models include certain 5 and 7 Series built between 2012 and 2017.

According to Automotive News, BMW announced a recall last Friday affecting 11,700 diesel-powered 5 and 7 Series vehicles following the discovery that the wrong programming had been installed. "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," the automaker said in an official statement. "The BMW Group informed the relevant authorities immediately.”

This initially may sound like an honest, though somewhat unusual mistake, given BMW’s reputation for quality and attention to detail. However, not long before BMW issued the recall, German’s Der Spiegel ran a report suggesting BMW had installed software that manipulated emissions of harmful gases such as nitrogen oxide. Sound familiar? Of course it does. Volkswagen admitted to and paid a huge price for doing nearly the same thing. It was called Dieselgate, and it resulted in a huge scandal that also involved recalls and $31.7 billion in fines and other related costs. BMW has repeatedly denied installing so-called “defeat devices”, which is what VW did, on its diesel-engined vehicles.

For this recall, BMW has only stated the number and model years of affected 5 and 7 Series powered by high-performance diesels and three turbo chargers, but has yet to announce where exactly these vehicles are located. Are they in Europe only? Elsewhere? Who knows. It’ll be interesting to find out whether or not this wrong engine software issue is tied to anything related specifically to diesel emissions. The timing of Der Spiegel’s report and the recall itself could be entirely coincidental, or not.

BMW Installed The Wrong Engine Software On 11,700 Diesel Vehicles

Affected models include certain 5 and 7 Series built between 2012 and 2017.

According to Automotive News, BMW announced a recall last Friday affecting 11,700 diesel-powered 5 and 7 Series vehicles following the discovery that the wrong programming had been installed. "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," the automaker said in an official statement. "The BMW Group informed the relevant authorities immediately.”

This initially may sound like an honest, though somewhat unusual mistake, given BMW’s reputation for quality and attention to detail. However, not long before BMW issued the recall, German’s Der Spiegel ran a report suggesting BMW had installed software that manipulated emissions of harmful gases such as nitrogen oxide. Sound familiar? Of course it does. Volkswagen admitted to and paid a huge price for doing nearly the same thing. It was called Dieselgate, and it resulted in a huge scandal that also involved recalls and $31.7 billion in fines and other related costs. BMW has repeatedly denied installing so-called “defeat devices”, which is what VW did, on its diesel-engined vehicles.

For this recall, BMW has only stated the number and model years of affected 5 and 7 Series powered by high-performance diesels and three turbo chargers, but has yet to announce where exactly these vehicles are located. Are they in Europe only? Elsewhere? Who knows. It’ll be interesting to find out whether or not this wrong engine software issue is tied to anything related specifically to diesel emissions. The timing of Der Spiegel’s report and the recall itself could be entirely coincidental, or not.

The BMW X-Cross Is Just The Right Kind of Wrong

There is one niche BMW has still left untouched.

This has been the year of the BMW X vehicles, practically every X model in BMW’s extensive line up has been refreshed and a few new ones like the X2 and X7 have been introduced for good measure too. Yet despite the introduction of the odd-looking Gran Turismo and stylish Gran Coupe models, BMW has never ventured into the soft-roading world of the Audi Allroad, Volvo Cross Country and Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain.

Designer Aksyonov Nikita has attempted to right this wrong with some interesting renderings of what a high-riding BMW sedan might look like, dubbing his creation the X-Cross.

The first designs show what a 3 Series sedan or wagon might look like with the trademark arch flares, underbody protector and jacked-up ride-height that differentiate cars like the A4 Allroad and C-Class All-Terrain from their standard counterparts.

While it is unlikely that BMW will ever introduce such a model, especially in the current F30 shape as it is soon due for replacement, the thought of a having an off-road capable BMW without needing to go the full SUV route sure is tempting. The sedan version looks a trifle strange though and this sort of go-anywhere capability is more suited to the added practicality that a wagon body style offers anyway.

Aksyonov also turned his hand to the new 6 Series GT and 5 Series sedan models. To our eyes, the 6 Series seems the more likely candidate for X-Cross status as it already has a huge rear hatch and would move the whole genre in a new direction.

Whether BMW ever do decide to build a rival to Audi's, Volvo's and Mercedes’ offerings is unlikely. It has already saturated the market with X models of all shapes and sizes and seeing as the crossover/SUV segment is one of the fastest growing sectors, venturing into this area may be one niche too far.