BMW issues urgent recall on 100k cars. Is YOUR vehicle on the danger list?
Fatal airbag failure in nearly 100,000 BMWs: German automaker urgently recalls thousands of vehicles – is YOUR vehicle on the danger list?
- Affected cars equipped with an airbag inflator made by the Japanese company Takata
- Takata used ammonia nitrate to power the airbag, which degrades over time
BMW is recalling nearly 100,000 cars on UK roads following a warning about a potentially fatal failure causing ‘over-aggressive combustion’ in affected cars’ airbags.
It is feared that the ‘over-aggressive burn’ could rip apart the airbag housing and shower the driver with shrapnel.
The company is offering to replace faulty airbags on any of the affected cars built between 2012 and 2015, including some of the brand’s most powerful engines.
The Driving Vehicle Standards Agency was notified of the defect by the company.
BMW has assured owners that this ‘safety-critical’ repair will take place at their local BMW service center as soon as possible.
The affected cars are all equipped with an airbag that uses a detonator made by Takata, which contains ammonium nitrate.
It is feared that the chemicals could deteriorate over time and make them more unstable, with reports of deaths in cars using the devices in the United States.
BMW writes to nearly 100,000 owners to warn them that their car has a potentially dangerous defect and to make an appointment with a local service center
According to the DVSA database of recalled vehicles, some 98,774 cars may need to be inspected and repaired.
They cite the reason as: ‘A possible degradation of the propellant tablets could lead to an overly aggressive combustion in the event that the airbag deploys, which could cause the inflator to rupture.’
The DVSA said the faulty airbags should be replaced.
A BMW spokesperson said: ‘Since the recall was first announced, BMW has continuously participated in a wide variety of customer campaigns to encourage owners of affected vehicles to have this safety-critical airbag repair performed at no cost as soon as possible.
“We encourage customers who have received this letter to have their vehicle checked and the airbag replaced as soon as possible by contacting their local BMW Service Centre.
Any BMW customer can also check their vehicle’s recall status at https://www.bmw.co.uk/recall.
One of the affected cars is the BMW M3, pictured. The sports saloon, which has an upgraded engine, brakes and suspension, can reach 250 km/h on a track
The 5-series touring, pictured, is also on the list of cars to be modified
The inflators of the Takata airbags were first identified as problematic in 2001. The company used ammonium nitrate to detonate the airbag, but the chemicals inside can deteriorate over time, especially when exposed to high temperatures and humidity .
It is feared that 32 people worldwide have died due to the faulty airbags.
More than 100 million cars with the Japanese-made inflators have been recalled.
Victims of the airbags have received large pieces of metal in their faces, with some injuries initially believed to be gunshot or stab wounds by first responders on the scene.