BMW to recall defective cars in China

German luxury car producer BMW has applied to recall vehicles with defective engine parts in China, the country's top quality watchdog said Friday.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said in a statement it has received the application from BMW China Automotive Trading Ltd. and BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd., a joint venture of BMW group with Brilliance China Automotive.

The two companies said in the application that they decided to recall affected vehicles in response to recent reports about problematic camshaft bolts on engines. They did not specify which models were involved.

Media reports showed that the camshaft bolts can break in some cases and cause sudden drops in engine power.

The AQSIQ ordered the two companies to carefully analyze the reasons behind the defect, find out the scope of affected vehicles and file a recall proposal as soon as possible.