BMW issues global recall over airbag safety concerns

BMW has issued a worldwide recall for 3 Series models to replace passenger-side front airbags. The recall has been announced over a concern that the front-seat passenger could be injured by metal shards being deployed by a faulty component from inside the airbag, in the event of a crash. It will cover upto 16 lakh cars worldwide, manufactured between May 1999 and August 2006.

The faulty component in question is an explosive propellant inside the inflator case, manufactured by Takata Corporation. This propellant tends to produce too much power when airbags deploy,  leading to a rupture in the inflator’s metal case, sending metal fragments flying in the passenger compartment, either towards the windshield or front passengers' feet. 

Over the last few years, more than more than 1 crore vehicles have been recalled worldwide by manufacturers like Toyota, Honda and Subaru because of the issue with airbags supplied by Takata Corporation. Earlier this year, Honda acknowledged that two drivers in the US were killed after being hit by metal shards from these faulty airbags. BMW said that the recall was more of a precautionary measure and that it wasn't yet aware of any injuries caused by inflators rupturing on BMW vehicles. 

This recall is an extension of the one issued in May 2013, when 42,000 3 Series models manufactured between 2002 and 2003 were recalled to fix the same issue. BMW said that the issues with these models have been rectified and the latest recall doesn’t cover these cars. 

In a related incident, Honda has also released a recall in India for 1,085 units of the Accord and 252 units of the CR-V cars manufactured in 2003. Replacement of the defective component will be carried out free of cost at HCIL dealerships across the country. Click here to read more.