The recall covers various model years, body styles, and powertrains. Specifically, it includes 378,263 units of the 2006-2011 BMW 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, and 335xi models. Additionally, the recall affects 10,089 units of the 2006-2012 BMW 3 Series SportWagon (325xi, 328i, and 328xi) and 5,677 units of the 2009-2011 335d.
BMW initiated the investigation after reports from non-US dealers indicated that some cars were arriving for service with a potentially affected inflator, even though they hadn’t been part of any previous recalls. The company confirmed that owners in the US who replaced their car’s original steering wheel with the sport or M-sport option might have installed the unapproved airbag inflator.
Although BMW has not reported any accidents or injuries related to this issue, the recall is being conducted out of caution. The Takata airbag recalls have been a significant concern since 2013, involving approximately 67 million inflators in tens of millions of vehicles sold by nearly every automaker in the US. The ammonium nitrate propellant in these airbags can degrade over time when exposed to long-term temperature changes, high heat, and high humidity, potentially causing the inflator to explode during deployment and jettison shrapnel into the passenger compartment. This defect has resulted in 27 fatalities in the US.
BMW even issued a do-not-drive order for 90,000 early 2000s models, joining other manufacturers like Nissan and Toyota in urging owners to have their cars fixed to avoid potential danger.
Source: NHTSA
