BMWs Are Being Removed From the UK Police Force for This Explosive Reason

UK police are ditching BMW cruisers after a deadly fire killed one of its officers. But there are alternatives that the force is looking into.
Written by Alex Healey
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
BMW police car
For Americans, the archetypal police car is a Ford Crown Vic. Nothing fancy, but they get the job done.
Things are a little different across the pond, where
BMW
has been a key supplier to the UK police for many years. As a result, BMW 3-series, 5-series, and X5 SUV cop cars are all fairly commonplace. It’s not unusual for police to have fast cars, but BMW seems an unusual choice due to the brand’s
reputation for unreliability
.
And now, several UK police forces have been forced to ditch their BMWs due to a series of engine fires following high-speed pursuits.

What is the problem with the UK’s BMW cop cars?

As reported by
Car and Driver
, some UK forces are restricting their BMWs to light duties, following multiple examples of them catching fire after driving at high speeds. There have been at least five reported cases, and one officer died when his car caught fire while responding to an emergency call.
The fires have been blamed on BMW’s N57 3.0-liter straight-six diesel engine, and while the German automaker has acknowledged a problem, it is keen to stress there is no risk to privately owned cars.
The company said, “This issue is associated with the particular way in which the police operate these high-performance vehicles. This unique usage profile puts extra strain on some components…There is no need for action on any civilian vehicles."
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How is the UK police responding?

MORE: Police Cars in Australia Are Kind of Fabulous
BMW has been supplying cars to police forces across the UK for over 10 years, and the problematic N57 engine has been replaced by the B57 in newer models.
Despite that, some forces are choosing to move away from BMWs altogether.
In Durham, a city in the North East of England, police have resorted to using 1.2-liter engine Peugeots, but they are too lightweight to be a permanent fixture. Many constabularies are turning to Volvo, with the robust V90 station wagon proving to be a popular choice.
Unlike BMW, the Swedish company has an excellent reputation for reliability, and the V90 just achieved the highest rating ever in the UK police’s driving test.

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