BMW of North America has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it is recalling 400,000 older 3-series models equipped with a Takata airbag inflator on the driver’s side steering wheel. Some 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (324i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi), 2006-2012 3 Series Sportswagon (325xi, 328i, 328xi), and 2009-2011 3 Series Sedan (335d) vehicles are affected with this deadly safety defect.
The original steering wheel may have been replaced with a sport or M-sport steering wheel equipped with a Takata inflator that can explode during deployment. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
“It’s a critical concern now, and in five years we’re going to have even more vehicles reaching the age where they are at a critical concern…. As long as these air bags are out there on the road, we are going to see tragedies happen,” said Michael Brooks, Executive Director of The Center for Auto Safety.
Dealers will inspect and replace the driver’s air bag module, made by New Leaf of Pfafftown North Carolina, as necessary, free of charge as required by U.S. safety regulations. (Driver Air Bag Module: p/n 6779826, 6884328, 6779827, 6884329, 6789943, 6884330) Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed 23 August 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov about BMW Takata airbag recall 24V-513.
Chronology
- On May 19, 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that Takata entered into a Consent Order with NHTSA and that Takata acknowledged that a defect related to motor vehicle safety may arise in some of the air bag inflators that Takata manufactured for certain vehicles sold in the US.
- Specifically, in the 16E-005 Defect Information Report filed with NHTSA on January 25, 2016, Takata reported that it has determined that a defect related to motor vehicle safety may arise in some PSDI-5 inflators, including those installed in certain BMW vehicles.
- In early 2024, as a result of a non-US parts collection/analysis program, it was decided to perform a recall in certain non-US markets in which certain PSDI-5 inflators had not yet been subject to a recall. At that time, certain non-US market vehicles were already subject to a PSDI-5 recall, and all US market vehicles originally equipped with the PSDI-5 inflator had been subject to a recall for a number of years.
- Non-US dealers started reporting that some vehicles were arriving for service and, although not subject to the recall, contained a potentially affected inflator. Reviews and analyses of this information were initiated. Discussions occurred regarding the possibility that US market customers could have changed their vehicle’s original production configuration steering wheel, via an unapproved replacement process, to a sport or M-sport steering wheel, with the unintended consequence of replacing an ammonium nitrate-free air bag inflator with a PSDI-5 inflator. Further reviews and analyses confirmed this hypothesis.
- On June 26, 2024, BMW decided in an abundance of caution to conduct a safety recall to identify, inspect and, if necessary, replace the inflator in the driver’s front air bag module on potentially affected vehicles.
- BMW has not received any reports, nor is BMW otherwise aware, of any accidents or injuries, in the US, that may be related to this issue.
Make/Models/Model Years (Driver Air Bag Module: p/n 6779826, 6884328, 6779827, 6884329, 6789943, 6884330)
- BMW/323I/2006-2011
- BMW/325I/2006-2011
- BMW/325XI/2006-2012
- BMW/328I/2006-2012
- BMW/328XI/2006-2012
- BMW/330I/2006-2011
- BMW/330XI/2006-2011
- BMW/335D/2009-2011
- BMW/335I/2006-2011
- BMW/335XI/2006-2011
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About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Takata Airbag Shrapnel – BMW Recalls 400,000 3-Series Models
BMW of North America has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it is recalling 400,000 older 3-series models equipped with a Takata airbag inflator on the driver’s side steering wheel. Some 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (324i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi), 2006-2012 3 Series Sportswagon (325xi, 328i, 328xi), and 2009-2011 3 Series Sedan (335d) vehicles are affected with this deadly safety defect.
The original steering wheel may have been replaced with a sport or M-sport steering wheel equipped with a Takata inflator that can explode during deployment. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
“It’s a critical concern now, and in five years we’re going to have even more vehicles reaching the age where they are at a critical concern…. As long as these air bags are out there on the road, we are going to see tragedies happen,” said Michael Brooks, Executive Director of The Center for Auto Safety.
Dealers will inspect and replace the driver’s air bag module, made by New Leaf of Pfafftown North Carolina, as necessary, free of charge as required by U.S. safety regulations. (Driver Air Bag Module: p/n 6779826, 6884328, 6779827, 6884329, 6789943, 6884330) Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed 23 August 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov about BMW Takata airbag recall 24V-513.
Chronology
Make/Models/Model Years (Driver Air Bag Module: p/n 6779826, 6884328, 6779827, 6884329, 6789943, 6884330)
AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.