BMW Initiates Recall for 2014 SUVs Amidst Safety Worries About Takata Airbags

Dec 06, 2023 04:01 AM EST

Black, Brown, and Gray Bmw Car Interior View — (Photo : PEXELS/MIKE BIRD)

BMW has initiated a recall for specific 2014 SUVs in response to a concerning issue involving Takata airbags. It was found that almost 500 cars had Takata airbag inflators that didn't work right. If these inflators go off, they could hurt or kill someone badly.

Airbags Safety Concern

This critical safety concern came to light after a customer complaint was submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on November 6th.

Repairer Driven News says the report described a disturbing event in which an airbag on a 2014 X3 burst, raising serious concerns about how reliable these airbag inflators are. The affected models encompass the X3, X4, and X5 xDrive35i variants that were manufactured in February and March of 2014.

Takata, a Japanese company that made the troublesome airbag inflators, is directly responsible for the problem. Over the past decade, there have been extensive recalls of more than 100 million Takata inflators worldwide, Business Insider cited Reuters report.

This recall follows a customer's serious injuries from an airbag inflator explosion. BMW prioritizes customer safety, thus this recall addresses Takata airbag problems in 2014 SUVs.

Business Insider also reported that on October 23, a complaint was filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding a 2014 X3 SUV in Chicago. The complaint said that the car's airbag inflator blew up, sending a big piece of metal into the driver's lung. The driver was hurt in the chest and shoulders by the blast, and later, a surgeon took a gold-colored disc out of the driver's lung.

In response to this incident, BMW has issued a recall impacting 486 2014 X3, X4, and X5 SUVs. These vehicles are equipped with airbags produced by the Japanese company Takata Corp., as confirmed by the NHTSA. The recall arises from concerns related to Takata airbags, with more than 30 million of their airbags currently under NHTSA investigation due to the potential for explosion.

Such poses a significant risk of injury or fatality. The NHTSA emphasizes that prolonged exposure to high heat and humidity can lead to these airbags exploding upon deployment, resulting in a history of injuries and fatalities.

Not a First Time for Takata

According to Orlando Sentinel's report, NHTSA has been investigating 30 million inflators since 2021, following Takata's recall of 67 million inflators since 2001. BMW is now recalling 486 SUVs due to an inflator explosion on a 2014 X3. This data added to over 26 U.S. fatalities linked to Takata inflators. Globally, there have been 30 deaths and about 400 injuries.

Takata went bankrupt due to these incidents. Apart from recalled Takata inflators, 30 million others with a moisture-absorbing chemical called desiccant pose a risk, resulting in the largest auto recall ever, affecting around 100 million inflators worldwide.

As reported by Car and Driver, American Honda has confirmed that a 2002 Honda Accord crash on January 9, 2021, resulting in a fatality, was due to a defective Takata airbag inflator rupture. This marks the 16th death linked to Takata inflator issues in Honda vehicles in the United States, with over 200 injuries reported.

Despite being under recall since April 2011, the vehicle was not owned by the driver who died. Honda continues to encourage owners of older Honda and Acura vehicles from model years 2001-2003 to visit dealerships for potential airbag replacements. This announcement follows a joint inspection by NHTSA and American Honda.