China's quality watchdog announced today that BMW, the world's luxury car maker, will recall a total of 232,097 cars in China through its China units BMW Brilliance Automotive and BMW China.

The recall, the largest so far in China for this year, is triggered by engine problems due to defective bolts, said the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

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AQSIQ said the recall is due to defective bolts at the shell of a valve timing system, which could cause the bolt to crack.

BMW China will replace the defective bolts at no cost to the customers who purchased the affected models, the AQSIQ said.

Recall Involves Imported, Locally-Manufactured Vehicles

The recall, which will be carried out starting 18 June, involves vehicles that come with N55, N52T and N5K engines. A total of 138,532 vehicles that BMW imported to China from 10 June 2009 to 30 July 2012 are covered by the recall.

The AQSIQ also said 93,566 of BMW 3 and BMW 5 series manufactured by BMW Brilliance from 7 November 2009 to 6 June 2013 will also be recalled.

Both BMW China and BMW Brilliance Automotive have applied to recall the vehicles following media reports that tackled the problematic bolts.

AQSIQ, upon receiving the application of the two companies, urged BMW to analyze the reasons for the defects and request a recall as soon as possible, which the companies did on Wednesday.

More Recalls

In 2012, BMW recalled 2,700 3 Series-model vehicles and 114 X1-model vehicles it manufactured in China due to defects in the steering system. The recall also involved 80 imported vehicles.

Last December, American car manufacturer General Motors initiated the largest recalls in China when it announced that it was recalling 1.46 million cars due to defective fuel pump brackets.

The largest recall in the world's biggest auto market involved GM's most popular vehicle models in China - the Buick Excelle and the Chevrolet Sail.