BMW recalls cars with exploding Takata airbags

Laguna Hills, CA – January 23, 2020 – BMW of North America, LLC is recalling 4,007 vehicles equipped with faulty airbag inflators that could possibly explode when placed under high humidity and heat.

The recall includes:

  • 2009 – 2012 X5 xDrive35d
  • 2008 – 2012 X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6 M
  • 2007 – 2012 X5 30si, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 48i, X5 xDrive48i, X5 xDrive50i and X5 M
  • 2010 – 2011 X6 ActiveHybrid

The defect

BMW is recalling over 4,000 vehicles due to risk of unintended airbag deployment. Affected vehicles are equipped with a non-desiccated, front airbag that contains ammonium nitrate propellant (PSPI-2); a propellant used to satisfy previous Takata inflator recalls.

Under long-term high temperatures and humidity the ammonium nitrate propellant (PSPI-2) will explode, sending large metal fragments and shards towards the driver and other vehicle passengers, resulting in serious injuries and possible death.

BMW will notify affected vehicle owners when the official recall begins, which is March 6, 2020. Any officially licensed BMW dealership will perform the proper inflator repairs, free of charge.

The solution

The repair will include a replacement front airbag inflator that does not include ammonium nitrate (PSPI-2). This repair will allow airbag inflators to remain intact under long-term high humidity and temperatures.

Is your vehicle part of the recall?

Over 4,000 vehicles were originally included in this recall. As of April 30, 2021 – the last date for which information is available – 2,454 airbags had been replaced. To see if your car still needs to be repaired, use MotorSafety’s free lookup tool.

Note: June 8, 2021

We have noticed a large number of readers are interested in this recall. For that reason, we added the last section and included completion rates. The article has also been edited to reflect the latest editorial standards.

Marshall EarleyBMW recalls cars with exploding Takata airbags