Rest assured if you happen to have a BMW originally sold in the UK with the N57 engine. Your diesel doesn’t have the same problem experienced by police cars. The company’s local division has admitted there’s something wrong with the straight-six 3.0-liter unit. However, these do not impact cars sold to regular customers. It’s unclear where the issue stems from, but buyers mustn’t be concerned:
“The safety of our customers and their vehicles is of utmost importance to BMW. We have been working with the police for some time on a technical matter linked to a small number of special high-performance vehicles. This issue is associated with the particular way in which the police operate these high-performance vehicles. This unique usage profile puts extra strain on some components and therefore BMW has specified a special servicing program for these vehicles. There is no need for action on any civilian vehicles.”
The N57’s Issue Remains A Mystery For Now
BMW admits it hasn’t figured out what is wrong with this engine installed in UK police cars, but it’s not looking good. So much so the company says “urgent steps” are being taken to identify the oil-burner’s problem. Durham Police issued a “no pursuit policy,” meaning officers can’t properly do their jobs anymore. West Mercia Police also declared it would take preventive measures. In other words, British law enforcement is well aware the N57 is plagued with mechanical faults.
Until BMW finds a remedy, UK police forces have been informed not to involve these N57-equipped cars in high-speed pursuits. Local newspaper Ludlow Advertiser cites a police whistleblower with access to documents in which officers were told not to drive these vehicles too fast. The only exception is for situations involving an “immediate threat to life”.
Hopefully, the German manufacturer will be able to solve the engine’s problem sooner rather than later.
[Source: Ludlow Advertiser]
