BMW has extended a recall of cars in the UK after the BBC's Watchdog consumer activist programme found vehicles could cut out completely while being driven.

The recall of 312,000 vehicles inlcudes BMW 1 Series, 3 Series, Z4 and X1 petrol and diesel models made between March 2007 and August 2011, bbc.co.uk reported.

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BMW initially recalled 36,410 petrol cars last year over safety issues, the report noted, adding it was now recognised there may have been similar problems in cars not covered by the first recall.

The first UK recall came after a motorist died late in 2016 when his car crashed into a tree to avoid a broken down BMW which had suffered an electrical fault, causing its brake lights to fail and resulting in in a stall on a dark main road.

Watchdog found the fault could affect a wider number of cars.

A BMW owner told the BBC his 3 Series had cut out completely while he was driving in December 2016.

He said he took his car to a dealership which found the fault which looked like "the cable had burnt out and no current was passing through the fuse box".

The report said BMW had failed to tell the UK's Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency about the electrical fault in some of its cars that led to the death.

BMW claimed it had worked with the DVSA and rejected suggestions it had ignored instructions or provided incorrect information.

An inquest revealed the carmaker had received complaints of an electrical issue that caused a total power failure as early as 2011.

BMW recalled 500,000 cars in the US in 2013, as well as in Australia, Canada and South Africa, bbc.co.uk said.

BMW responded: "We now recognise that there may have been some cases of similar power supply issues in vehicles not covered by the original recall.

"In order to reassure customers with concerns about the safety of their vehicles, we are voluntarily extending the recall.

"We are therefore announcing today that we will take the proactive step of expanding the existing UK recall to cover all vehicles potentially affected by the power supply issue."

BMW said it would open a customers' complaints line and contact affected owners directly.

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