Westwood, NJ – July 2, 2021 – BMW (OTCMKTS:BMWYY) has recalled 4,511 cars equipped with faulty Takata airbag inflators that may cause the airbag malfunction during a crash. This may result in the driver-side airbag exploding during an accident, hurting the driver with metal shrapnel. It may also cause the airbag to become under-inflated, failing to protect the driver from injuries in a crash.

The affected component is the driver-side airbag with multiple part numbers, including 1095767 and 1095763.

BMW will pull Takata airbags from BMW 3 series vehicles, including: 

• 1999 – 2001 BMW 3 Series
• 2000 – 2001 BMW 323CI
• 1999 – 2000 BMW 323i
• 2000 – 2001 BMW 325Ci
• 2000 – 2001 BMW 328Ci
• 1999 – 2001 BMW 328i
• 2000 – 2001 BMW 330Ci
• 1999 – 2001 BMW 330i
• 1999 – 2001 BMW 330xi
• 2001 BMW 323 i

Recall summary  

The recalled BMWs’ airbags contain Non-Azide Driver Inflators (NADI), which  have been subjected to several recalls since 2019. The recalled inflators may have a faulty seal, allowing moisture to get into the inflator and degrade the explosive chemicals inside. 

The NADI airbags have a defect that is similar to – but separate from – the larger Takata airbag recall. That larger recall has affected millions of vehicles across the country, and cost BMW 131 million dollars in a 2017 BMW Takata class action settlement. 

Previous recall

The airbags in question were inspected under a series of prior recalls in 2019, but not replaced. At least one of the prior recalls was associated with several injuries and a fatality outside of the U.S.

Risks

When moisture degrades the explosives in the inflator, the airbag inflator could generate more or less force during deployment than it should. Too much force will explode the airbag inflator, sending dangerous shrapnel through the vehicle, potentially maiming or killing occupants. Too little force will under-inflate the airbag, which could fail to protect someone during a crash, increasing the risk of injury or death.

Some of the BMWs recalled in 2019 were considered so dangerous that BMW instructed owners to not drive the car until the repair was completed.  This time, BMW is telling owners that they can continue to drive the car, but is also imploring owners to schedule a free recall repair appointment as soon as slots become available.

The repair

Dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator with a newly designed inflator for free. BMW will notify owners about the recall by mail starting on July 19.  

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 4,500 vehicles are included in this BMW recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.