BMW recalls 235,000 Minis worldwide due to 'fire risk'

German carmaker BMW has recalled around 235,000 Minis worldwide due to a fault in the electric water pump that cools the turbo charger, which could in some cases be a fire risk, a spokesman said Monday. The recall concerns vehicles built between March 2006 and January 2011, Sven Gruetzmacher told AFP. In extreme cases, the pump could overheat and cause a fire. This has already happened in the United States, Gruetzmacher said, but no one has been hurt. On Sunday, the US traffic safety agency announced that BMW had recalled 89,000 Mini Coopers for the same reason. "The electric auxiliary water pump that cools the turbocharger has an electronic circuit board that can malfunction and overheat," the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on its website. The pumps are to be replaced free of charge.