Munich, Oct 1 (DPA) The world’s leading luxury carmaker BMW said Friday that brake problems had forced a recall of 198,000 of its BMW and Rolls-Royce brand cars in the US.

A spokesman for the German auto group said the recall could ultimately involve about 345,000 cars around the world.

The announcement came as the Munich-based company said that group sales jumped by 16 percent in September compared with the same month last year.

Speaking at the Paris Motor Show, BMW chief Norbert Reithofer said the group expected to post double-digit sales growth for its BMW, Mini and Rolls Royce brands during the first nine months of this year.

‘Third-quarter car sales developed better than we initially expected,’ he told reporters.

Strong demand from key emerging markets like China has helped this year to bolster sales for Germany’s luxury carmakers.