BMW brand image affected by voluntary recall

BMW NA offered a voluntary recall to their customer by submitting a letter to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) this week. Approximately 198,000 V8 and V12-powered BMW 5 Series, 6 Series, 7 Series, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars models produced between the 2002 and 2010 model years are affected by this recall. BMW issued this voluntary recall because of a leak that may develop in the power braking system. If this happens a power braking assistance will be reduced. No accidents have been reported in relation to this problem. And the mechanical brakes are still available to slow and stop the vehicle in case of loss of control.

Marketing Week reports that BMW’s brand perception has lowered because of this recall. Last September 30 before the recall was issued, the buzz rating of BMW was 9.8. But on October 4th, it dropped to -4. This only means disapproval from the market. However, the magazine believes that the effect on the BMW brand cannot be as huge as what Toyota got after recalling millions of vehicles.