The German company BMW has announced it will recall 12,400 5-series sedans in the US and China due to faulty fuel gauge sensors.

The data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the U.S. shows that the 2010 and 2011 BMW 5 Series sedan and GT models built between January 12 and July 1 this year may have problem with the fuel gauge sensors.

FrankStrebe, a spokesman for BMW, said that among the sedans to be recalled, 6,400 vehicles are on the US market and the rest are in China. The company will attempt to fix the fuel gauge sensors, and the whole process takes about a half day.

Wang Chenyang, the product promotion manager of BMW China, told the National Business Daily that the company is communicating with its headquarters in Germany, and it's known that the Gran Turismo (GT) models will be recalled. Whether the new 5-series sedans are also involved and the exact number of vehicles concerned is still to be confirmed.

The administration said the sensor can become wedged inside the tank, which restricts float movement as the fuel level rises and falls. This could impair the in-car readout, suggesting more fuel is in the tank than what's actually available. Without any alert signaling an empty tank, the engine suddenly stalls, which increases the risk of accidents.

China's business press carried the story above on Thursday. China.org.cn has not checked the stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

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