BMW has informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the company’s intent to voluntarily recall all model year 2000–2006 BMW 3 Series vehicles, produced between May 1999 and August 2006, to replace the passenger-side front airbag as part of a worldwide recall.
BMW is not aware of any cases of faulty airbags involving BMW vehicles. However, potential problems with ruptured airbag inflators have been noted in rare cases involving vehicles made by other carmakers that use similar airbag systems from the same supplier.
The replacement campaign is a voluntary precautionary measure by BMW with a goal of minimizing the risk of faulty airbag activation. Approximately 574,000 vehicles in the U.S. may be affected.
This is a voluntary extension of a May 2013 recall campaign. At that time, the airbag supplier stated there was a production period during which potentially faulty airbag inflators were installed in passenger-side front airbags. Following this revelation, BMW recalled 42,000 3 Series vehicles in the U.S. The airbag supplier has now extended the potential problem production period.
To keep its customers safe, BMW elected to replace the passenger-side front airbags in the vehicles from the original suggested production period, and as an additional voluntary precautionary measure, to also replace the passenger-side front airbags in all model year 2000–2006 BMW 3 Series vehicles equipped with this airbag module. The 42,000 units recalled in May 2013 are excluded from the current replacement campaign.
BMW will mail notifications to customers with potentially affected vehicles. Customers with questions should call BMW Customer Relations at (800) 525-7417, or e-mail customer.relations@bmwna.com.—Scott Blazey
[Photo courtesy of BMW AG.]
