BMW recalls more than 290,000 cars because cargo rail may detach

BMW on Wednesday said it is recalling more than 290,000 vehicles in North America because of faulty bolts that may cause the interior cargo rail to fall off in the event of a rear crash.

According to recall documents posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, attachment bolts on the affected BMW vehicles "may become damaged in a rear crash and result in the cargo rail detaching," increasing the risk of injury.

The recall applies to the following BMW models: 2018-2023 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i and X3 M vehicles.

Dealers will replace the defective bolts for free, NHTSA said. Notification letters will be mailed to vehicle owners on August 30. Anyone with related questions can call the automaker's customer service line at (800) 525-7417. BMW's number for the recall is "24V-534." Owners can also contact NHTSA's safety hotline at (888) 327-4236 (toll-free at 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.nhtsa.gov for further information.

This is the second recall this month by the German automaker. BMW on July 10 recalled more than 394,000 vehicles in the North America because of Takata-made airbag inflators that could explode when deployed in a crash, potentially striking drivers and passengers with sharp metal fragments.