BMW has said it will no longer be supplying police cars a year after forces were instructed not to use patrol cars fitted with the brand’s N57 engine in any high-speed pursuits due to safety concerns.
The manufacturer has announced it is closing its specialist sales division in the country after many UK police forces restricted the use of its cars featuring the N57 engine, only using the vehicles for “less stressful” operations.
It followed the death of PC Nick Dumphreys, 47, while responding to an emergency call on the M6 near Carlisle in January 2020.
An inquest heard that his car’s N57 engine suffered “catastrophic failure” causing an oil leak prior to the crash.
It was told that similar faults had been reported in police vehicles with the engine between five and seven times a month between 2014 and 2017.
In December 2021 a BMW police car caught fire on the A11 near the Wymondham junction, though a reason for it happening was not revealed.
Last year Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies, who share joint responsibility for the police vehicle fleet, declined to say whether its BMW vehicles were affected by the fault.
However a freedom of information request revealed both had marked and unmarked BMW cars, with 34 in Norfolk and 47 in Suffolk.
The N57 diesel engine features in a number of BMW police vehicles, including the 330d, 530d and X5.
BMW has said the problem with the N57 engine was down to the “particular way” police use the vehicles and that there was “no need for action on any civilian vehicles”.
PC Dumphreys’ widow, Kathryn, said: “Although it is too little too late for Nick and our family, BMW’s decision to stop supplying cars to UK police forces with immediate effect is the first step in the right direction.
“It is glaringly obvious that these cars were not and, in my view, are still not fit or safe for UK policing purposes.”
Deputy chief constable Terry Woods, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on police driving, said: “A national position has already been adopted regarding the end of life of the affected BMWs.
“Vehicles that have been assessed as at risk and unsuitable for police use have been removed from service and their engine made unusable prior to disposal.
“Any remaining usable BMWs with the engine type identified are subject to rigorous monitoring.”
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