BMW is recalling about 156,000 vehicles equipped with 6-cylinder engines because a defect could cause stalling or engine damage, the automaker said in a news release Thursday. The action comes almost two years after the automaker began fixing the same models in China, according to a report the automaker filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

BMW said “in very rare cases the bolts holding the variable camshaft timing (Vanos) unit housing may become loose or, in extreme cases, break.” In such cases, the driver would be alerted by a check-engine warning light. Power to the engine could be reduced and “if ignored, the problem can become progressively worse, eventually leading to no-start conditions, stalling and engine damage.” Vanos is BMW’s variable-valve timing technology.