BMW has recalled 5,761 cars for an alarming reason: Their airbag inflators can explode without warning, even when no accident triggers them.
Recalled models include some, but not all examples of the:
- 2014-2015 BMW 2 Series Coupe
- 2014-2015 BMW 3 Series Sedan
- 2014-2015 BMW 4 Series Coupe
- 2015 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe
BMW tells federal safety officials that the head airbag components in these cars “may not have been produced by the supplier according to specifications.”
Inflators Could Fail, Or Burst Without Warning
Airbags work thanks to airbag inflators – small metal capsules containing chemicals that, when triggered in an accident, combine to form a rapidly expanding gas. That gas should escape out a small nozzle, causing it to inflate airbags that cushion occupants from a crash.
BMW says that contamination within the faulty inflators “can lead to corrosion, which can result in a failure at the weld joint. In very rare cases, this could cause a separation of the two halves of the inflator at the joint.”
That could lead to two problems – gas could leak from the inflator slowly, leaving it unable to function in an accident. Or, BMW says, “rapid inflator separation could result in injury or fatality to vehicle occupants, and to persons who may be near the vehicle if this issue occurs.”
It’s Never Happened
BMW is not aware of any accidents or injuries caused by the concern. The company says it learned of the problem from the supplier that built the parts and issued a recall “out of an abundance of caution.”
Dealers will solve the problem by replacing the entire head airbag unit. By law, dealers never charge for recall repairs.
Automakers recall many cars to fix safety defects, sometimes more than once. While automakers try to reach every owner to ask them to bring the vehicle in for repair, they rarely reach them all. Millions of vehicles on American roads need free recall repairs. To find out if your car is one of them, check the easy VIN tool at our recall center.
