Via The Detroit News

BMW AG said it will call back 156,000 vehicles, including the 2010-12 1 Series, 3 Series, 5 Series Gran Turismo and X3, X5, X6 and Z4 along with the 2011-2012 5 Series and 2012 6 Series, because the aluminum bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment unit can loosen over time and may break and could cause stalling.

It will also issue extended warranties for another 170,000 inline six-cylinder 2010-12 vehicles not covered in the recall to address problems if they arise. The vehicles were built between September 2009 and February 2012.

BMW said in 2011 that it first had 12 warranty claims in the United States related to the camshaft unit. BMW has no reports of crashes or injuries linked to the problem in the U.S.

BMW decided to call back vehicles in China in June 2012 for the same problem on vehicles built between February and October 2010 linked to some reports of stalling. The German automaker said because of the “low rate” of problems, it opted not to recall the vehicles in the United States and instead issued a dealer bulletin.

Earlier this year, the Chinese auto safety agency opened an investigation into four reports of stalling in BMW vehicles. In mid-March, BMW extended the recall to vehicles in China that were built between September 2009 and July 2011, but said it wasn’t treating the repairs as a safety campaign. The same day China’s safety agency classified BMW’s action as a recall, it opted to recall the vehicles in the United States.

Owners will receive notice in May and U.S. dealers will replace the bolts.