Westwood, NJ – September 6, 2021 – BMW (OTCMKTS:BMWYY), which also owns Mini and Rolls-Royce brands, has recalled 21,537 vehicles with faulty child restraint systems that increase the risk of injury to a child during a crash.
This recall affects some 2021 Toyota Supras made with BMW engines, as well as a wide range of BMW models, including:
- 2021 BMW 4 Series, including the 2021 430I
- 2021 BMW 2 Series, including the 2021 228I
- 2021 BMW 5 Series, including the 2021 540I
- 2021 Mini Cooper
- 2021 Rolls-Royce Phantom
- 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost
For a complete list of models and model years included, please refer to this page.
The affected component in this BMW recall is a seat belt retractor, which is what is used to hold the seat belt in place.
Recall summary
This recall is part of an ongoing series of recalls – that already includes Ford and Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz – caused by faulty seat belts provided by Swedish-American supplier Autoliv.
These seat belts come equipped with two types of retractors – one that immobilizes the seat belt in the event of a crash and one that prevents the seat belt from moving right after it is buckled. The latter is referred to as the automatic locking retractor, or ALR, and is activated by pulling the seat belt “all the way out,” weaving it through the child seat and buckling it in.
But, because of “out of tolerance” parts provided by the supplier, the ALR may deactivate early, “before the webbing fully retracts.”
Risks
Faulty ALR will not hold the child seat firmly in its place. Although the seat belt would still lock up during a crash, there is an increased risk of injury during sudden stops. The risk is lower when parents use the lower anchors and tethers for children (LATCH) system in place of the seat belts, as reported.
Warning signs
Drivers may notice that the torso section of the seat belt is not locked firmly while securing the child seat.
Other BMW recalls
Earlier this month, the 2021 Toyota Supra, as well as some of the X and 5 series cars, were recalled because of a brake assist problem. Some of the older X series were recalled in August out of concern that they may stall while in motion due to a faulty fuel pump.
Other Mini Cooper and Rolls-Royce recalls
In April, BMW recalled close to 50,000 Rolls-Royce, Mini Cooper and BMW models due to a defective water pump, as reported. In November of last year, there was a BMW and a Mini Cooper recall due to hybrid batteries that may catch fire.
The repair
Dealers will replace affected passenger seat belts free of charge during an inspection. It is not yet known when the owners will receive additional information about this recall.
Is your vehicle a part of this recall?
This recall includes more than 20,000 vehicles and covers several brands and models. To check for this and other recalls, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.
