2009 BMW X5Enlarge Photo
Clean-diesel vehicles, a slowly growing segment of the market, unquestionably return higher fuel economy figures than their gasoline-engined counterparts.
But they have their own set of issues, too, including recalls specific to some of the diesel engine components.
The NHTSA has issued a recall notice for the 2009 BMW X5 xDrive35d sport-utility vehicle, of which 2,120 were sold in the U.S. The vehicles affected were built in BMW's Spartanburg, South Carolina, assembly plant between October 1, 2008, and June 12, 2009.
The recall will begin in October, once replacement parts are available.
The issue is a potentially faulty heater for the fuel filter, which could stay on even after the vehicle is switched off. That could drain the battery or, worse, overheat and potentially cause a fire.
The fuel filter requires a heater because, unlike gasoline, the viscosity of diesel fuel can increase in cold temperatures, which could clog the fuel filter or other parts of the high-pressure fueling systems on modern diesel vehicles.
It's not the first recall for the X5 diesel, either. In June, BMW announced a recall of almost 1,000 clean-diesel versions of its new and redesigned 2012 X5 model to replace a part that could cause the power steering to fail.
If you own a 2009 BMW X5 xDrive35d, you can contact the NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236; be sure to refer to recall campaign number 11V441000. You can also reach BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417, or via e-mail, at email@example.com.