2023-05-04 13:14:33
In the interest of customer safety, BMW of North America has proactively issued an immediate warning of Do not drive for approximately:
90,000 BMW 3 Series (E46) models from 2000 to 2006 including M3, 5 Series (E39) from 2000 to 2003 including M5 and X5s (E53) from 2000 to 2004 equipped with certain Takata-manufactured driver frontal airbag inflators.
These vehicles have already been included in several Takata-related recalls; however, despite intensive communication efforts with BMW customers since 2016, they remain unrepaired, and as airbag inflators age, the risk of serious injury or death increases.
Therefore, to re-emphasize the seriousness of the situation, the decision was made to escalate the recall to a No Drive order. Owners of affected BMWs who have not had their vehicles inspected and repaired should not consider them safe to drive.
Notification emails will be sent to owners of these vehicles beginning in May with letters to follow in June.
These vehicles were manufactured with air bag inflators that contain a propellant that breaks down following prolonged exposure to fluctuations in temperature and humidity.
If the vehicle is involved in a crash and the driver’s airbag deploys, the metal airbag inflator can rupture and send sharp shrapnel toward the occupants.
As these unrepaired vehicles continue to age, the chemicals will continue to break down, increasing the chances of a disastrous breakdown.
“We cannot express strongly enough how urgent it is that our customers take this warning seriously. We know these airbags only get more dangerous over time, so we’re taking another step to remove these parts from our vehicles.
Customers should park these vehicles immediately and take a few minutes to verify if their vehicle is safe for them and their family members to drive,” said Claus Eberhart, Vice President After Sales, BMW NA, “Repairing these vehicles is quick, easy to arrange , And it is absolutely free.”
Since the recall was first announced, BMW has aggressively and continuously engaged in a wide variety of customer outreach campaigns to compel owners of these vehicles to complete this safety critical repair, free of charge. any as soon as possible.
These have included contacts by phone, text, email, letters and postcards, and social media. BMW has coordinated with its network of dealerships, collision centers and independent retailers and repair facilities to identify affected vehicles and facilitate repairs.
These efforts and many others have resulted in the repair of hundreds of thousands of vehicles, addressing approximately 87% of all recalled BMW airbag inflators.
There are no restrictions of any kind that prevent customers from replacing the airbag in their vehicle immediately.
Parts are readily available and cost them nothing to repair. In many cases, the replacement can be done remotely – technicians can be dispatched to where the vehicle is and complete the repair on site.
If remote repair cannot be performed, the vehicle can be picked up at the customer’s home or office at no charge, repaired, and returned when service is complete. Airbag replacement typically takes less than an hour.
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