BMW Recalls 390,000 Cars Over Risk of Exploding Airbags

BMW is initiating a recall of over 390,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to airbag inflators that have a heightened risk of exploding during a crash. This recall, announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Wednesday, addresses a critical safety issue that has resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries over the past decade. The recall affects certain BMW 3 Series Sedans and Sportwagon models produced between 2006 and 2012. These vehicles may be equipped with Takata-manufactured airbag inflators, which can become dangerous if they deploy during a crash, especially after exposure to heat and humidity. The faulty inflators are known to rupture and send metal shrapnel into the car, posing a severe risk to passengers.

Takata’s airbag inflators have been linked to at least 27 deaths and approximately 400 injuries in the U.S., as reported by the NHTSA. One recent incident involved a 2014 BMW X3, where a driver sustained injuries from shrapnel after the airbag exploded in an October accident. Many of these problematic inflators were installed by various automakers around the world, though some were added by vehicle owners who used non-approved replacement parts. Earlier this year, Takata expanded its recall of airbag inflators to markets outside the U.S. In response, BMW decided to recall potentially affected vehicles in the U.S. “out of an abundance of caution,” despite not having received reports of accidents or injuries related to this defect. BMW plans to start notifying affected drivers on August 10 and will offer free replacements for the faulty airbag modules through its dealers.

The total number of Takata airbag inflators recalled in the U.S. by the NHTSA since 2019 stands at 67 million. This recall represents the largest series of automotive recalls in U.S. history, with an additional 33 million airbags recalled globally. The majority of these inflators have been installed in passenger vehicles, but they have also been used in trucks manufactured by Daimler and luxury vehicles from Ferrari. In May, Nissan issued a “Do Not Drive” warning for nearly 84,000 vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators. This decision followed a tragic incident in 2018 where an exploding front-passenger inflator resulted in the death of a driver in a 2006 Nissan Sentra. Nissan had previously recalled over 736,000 cars with these inflators in 2020. Similar warnings have been issued by other automakers, including Ford, Dodge, BMW, and Chrysler.

The defective Takata airbag inflators have prompted numerous recalls from various automakers over the past decade. In 2016, the Department of Transportation imposed a $200 million fine on Takata, the largest civil penalty ever issued by the agency. This penalty was part of an extensive investigation into the faulty inflators, with regulators requesting the preservation of all recalled inflators for further examination. The NHTSA has been tasked with testing these recovered inflators. Takata, facing ongoing scrutiny, filed for bankruptcy in 2017. On Wednesday, Stellantis also announced a recall for 332,000 vehicles due to an issue with front seat airbags that may fail to deploy properly during a crash, increasing the risk of injury. This recall includes Alfa Romeo Giulia cars from 2017 to 2024, Alfa Romeo Stelvio models from 2018 to 2025, Fiat 500X vehicles from 2019 to 2023, certain Jeep Renegade models, and 2024 Fiat 500E vehicles.