Woodcliff Lake, NJ — November 23, 2015 — BMW owners with children should be wary of a new recall action from the manufacturer centered around a series of vehicles made for model year 2016. These cars may reportedly violate the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard by making it impossible for child seats to engage with lower child seat restraint anchors. This would leave children more vulnerable if an accident occurred, as a recall acknowledgement on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) site states.
According to the Part 573 Safety Recall Report, 70 percent of a group of 7,162 vehicles were considered potentially defective. Affected models include the 528i, 535i, 535d and 550i sedans, as well as their xDrive counterparts. Of these, the 528i group has the highest number of autos at possible risk (2,377).
“During vehicle assembly, the inboard lower anchor on the left rear seat may have been bent downwards,” the report states. “It may not be possible to securely attach a child restraint system to the lower anchors on the vehicle’s left rear seat, which would increase the risk of injury to a child in an accident.”
The problem was discovered earlier this year and the recall is currently scheduled for December 24. A service information bulletin shows where to find the faulty bracket and instructs dealers to make the repair without any additional parts.
While these vehicles are still awaiting repair, owners are required to cease selling new models under the threat of “substantial civil penalties.” They also can’t deliver vehicles covered by the BMW recalls under any agreement, including a lease.