BMW Recalls 390,000 Vehicles With Airbags That Could Explode

BMW has recalled over 390,000 vehicles due to airbag inflator issues.

The luxury car manufacturer BMW of North America is recalling vehicles within the United States because the cars were installed with airbag inflators that can explode. This could lead to potentially serious injury or death. The NHTSA said in its Part 573 Safety Recall Report, 24V-513, that if the inflator explodes, sharp metal fragments may strike the driver or other occupants of a vehicle.

“Approximately 378,263 vehicles may contain a sport or M-sport steering wheel equipped with a Takata driver’s front airbag module that contains a PSDI-5 inflator that could have been installed by an owner, even though it was not officially offered/approved by BMW as a replacement part,” it states. This description was for 2006-2011 BMW 3 Series Sedans, but the recall also covers 5,677 other 2009-2011 BMW 3 Series Sedans and 10,089 2006-2012 BMW 3 Series Sportswagons.

BMW recalls more than 394,000 cars because airbags could explode https://t.co/PC8QcVJwnS

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These recalled vehicles may contain Takata airbag inflators. The company issued a recall for the airbag inflators outside of the U.S. earlier this year, and BMW decided to recall any potentially affected vehicles last month.

BMW said it will notify affected drivers starting Aug. 10, and dealers will offer free replacements for the airbag modules, reports Forbes. The recall notice states that in order to rectify the situation, “The driver’s airbag module will be checked and, if an applicable Takata inflator is identified, it will be replaced. Owners will be notified by First Class mail with instructions regarding this recall and to, if necessary, take their vehicle to an authorized BMW center to have the remedy performed for free.”

The statement continued, “Owners who have replaced the airbag module at their own expense before the recall notification may be eligible for reimbursement according to BMW Group’s reimbursement plan in accordance with 49 CFR 573.13 and 49 CFR 577.11.” The company has not received any reports of any accidents or injuries in the U.S. that may be related to this issue.

This past March, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that Chrysler recalled over 280,000 vehicles due to issues with the side curtain airbag inflators that could cause them to rupture.