BMW's Munich headquarters were raided today (Tuesday, March 20) by German prosecutors investigating the possible use of illegal emissions control software.

Reports say around 100 police and law enforcement officials searched BMW's Munich offices as well as a site in Austria.

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Reuters reported that the facility searched in Austria was BMW's engine plant in Steyr.

"There is an early suspicion that BMW has used a test bench-related defeat device," prosecutors said in a written statement cited by Reuters.

BMW's official statement said it believes errors have been made in relation to certain models and that it is also investigating with a view to recalling impacted cars for a software fix. 

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In a statement BMW confirmed that the Munich public prosecutor has opened an investigation regarding a software update 'which has been mistakenly allocated to around 11,400 BMW 750d and BMW M550d vehicles'.

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BMW said that in the course of internal testing, the BMW Group 'realised that a correctly developed software module had been allocated in error to models for which it was not suited'. Therefore the 'BMW Group plans to recall 11,400 vehicles, for which a corrected software will be made available as soon as it has been approved by the relevant authorities'. 

'All further steps are being taken in close co-operation with the relevant authorities,' BMW statement said, adding that the group 'takes the situation very seriously and has a significant interest in the circumstances being fully explained'.

BMW said it is co-operating fully with the authorities and has already started an internal investigation.

'The BMW Group continues to assume that the situation was caused by an incorrect allocation of the software and does not represent a deliberate attempt to manipulate exhaust emissions,' the company said.