BMW recalls 30,000 X5s to fix brake problem

BMW said Friday it is recalling more than 30,000 eight-cylinder X5 SUVs built between 2007 and 2010 due to a potential power assist braking malfunction. In a statement to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, BMW noted that a small amount of lubricating oil could leak into the vacuum hose that connects the vacuum pump and the brake booster. This leak could cause power-assist braking to malfunction.

'Crash for cash' scams soar by 51%

THE NUMBER of "crash for cash" car insurance scams uncovered by a major insurer surged by 51% annually last year. Aviva said it had detected around 820 staged accidents in 2013, leading to some 2,200 fraudulent personal injury claims. It is pressing for tougher penalties and said that often, rather than being locked up, fraudsters end up being sentenced to community orders, which "do little" to deter them from re-offending.

Car clocking fraud on rise again

There could be as many as 486,000 vehicles with a false mileage on the road in the UK, according to vehicle history experts, HPI. The act of “clocking” a vehicle has been around for a number of years and is something that was made easier with the arrival of digital odometers. In the past, the mis-aligned digits and exposed screw heads meant that a clocked car was relatively easy to spot.