BMW wants compensation from Bosch

BMW AG will seek compensation from Robert Bosch GmbH after missing parts for models, including the best-selling 3-Series sedan caused production stoppages in Germany, China and South Africa.

A lack of steering gears supplied by Bosch, the world’s largest car parts supplier, meant there were only limited vehicle production at various German plants, while factories in Tiexi, China, and Rosslyn, South Africa, had moved up or extended planned interruptions, said BMW purchasing chief Markus Duesmann.

Bosch said it was working intensively with BMW to minimise the impact. The disruption was caused by a bottleneck at an Italian company that supplied the casings for Bosch’s electronicsteering systems, said the Stuttgart, Germany-based firm.

It despatched employees to Italy to help solve the problem as soon as possible.

The open conflict between the two German car giants is rare, but is unlikely to have a lasting effect on relations.