BMW delayed recalls on several models, including the 5-Series, NHTSA said.
Dawdling on safety will cost BMW $3 million.
The maker has agreed to pay that money in fines levied by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which charged the German maker with failing to report safety defects and related information in a timely manner as required by federal law. The settlement avoided any formal finding of wrongdoing.
The settlement concludes an investigation opened two years ago looking into alleged non-compliance with U.S. safety standards – which require that automakers notify the NHTSA within five days of learning about a safety defect or related problems.
But after examining 16 separate recalls in 2010 NHTSA discovered numerous instances where BMW fell short, the agency’s Recall Management Division determining that, “BMW appears to maintain a practice, by design or habit, in which it provides little information” to the government despite the requirement.
The most serious issue involved BMW 5 and 6-Series cars from 2004-2010 and 7-Series models from 2002-2008.
As part of the settlement, BMW agreed to make changes meant to bring it into compliance with federal safety laws.
NHTSA regulators ultimately ruled that the Japanese maker had delayed that recall long after learning of the problem and announced what was, at the time, record fines. But Toyota was later charged with additional delays and further record fines. In all, the Japanese maker’s fines totaled $50 million.
The safety agency has since been tightening its oversight of the industry, in general.
“NHTSA expects all manufacturers to address automotive safety issues quickly and in a forthright manner,” NHTSA Administrator David Strickland said in a statement.