Yes, the engines that have been mentioned here - the ones were several screws are missing in the upper gearbox cover - are being recalled to correct the defect.
Won’t affect the NA market since there were none delivered here. 
Nice to see that Märklin takes the proper route, unlike that fine episode with the EPL Mikado which was just left out there - along with attempts to suppress the cause of the defects - until such time as it seized up.
HJ,
my manner of thinking, in so far as production/process lines, is that the employee will do exactly as he is instructed, no more and no less. His work is on a ‘time schedule’ and the time taken to do a task is instrumental in the successive stages of production. One of the few photographs to emerge from Gyor, has a woman sitting at a workstation, assembling a Krokodile. One assumes that she is alone responsible for the full assembly of the locomotive. I do not think that an employee decision was made to omit the screws on the V220 gearbox, but if made in China and as per previous statements from Jerry, Chinese workers do instill their own values onto the production line, ommitting screws as need be and still apparently maintain structural integrity. However, if all drive blocks have the offending screws missing then this is a systemic productuion line problem. As with all drive blocks, no matter what model number, complete disassembly is usually only carried out if a problem has occurred. For many this may be years later. Simply removing the lower cover to service the blocks would not reveal the absent screws in the top cover.
There are a few screws loose on this forum as well!
John Joseph Sauer said:Marvin
There are a few screws loose on this forum as well!
We know that, but try as we might, we can’t get yours tightened, adjusted or properly torqued. Looks like a real screw-ball thread on all of your screws! Probably those self-tapping gizmos that strip, use that on a Ventilator body means you have to check for direction of spin first. Not easy, but …
“So it goes” Kurt Vonnegut
I have to admit it Mr. Märklin - your pretty much the expert at torquing people’s screws (as evidenced by the thread on “interesting comments from downunder”).
John Joseph Sauer said:With all your various personas, we do keep in practice......torquing you up!
I have to admit it Mr. Märklin - your pretty much the expert at torquing people's screws (as evidenced by the thread on "interesting comments from downunder").