The Takata airbag recall continues to put automakers under pressure to update their recall campaigns as countless vehicles fitted with the explosive inflators remain unrepaired.
BMW recently announced that it is upgrading its Takata airbag-related recall. It is urging the owners of 90,000 vehicles in the U.S. to park their SUVs and sedans until the firm can repair the inflators.
Largest Recall In History Continues To Expose Car Owners To Personal Injury Risk
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that the Takata airbag recall that affected 34 carmakers is due to airbag inflators that can explode after long-term exposure to heat and humidity. The issue already resulted in 25 fatal accidents and more than 400 injuries in the United States alone. Now, BMW is issuing a “do not drive” alert that impacts the 2000 through 2006 BMW 3 Series, including M3 models, the 2000 through 2003 5 Series, including M5 models, and the 2000 through 2004 X5s. Some years of the BMW 1 series, X1, X3, X5, and X6 models were also affected.
If you own one of these models, visit the automaker’s recall website to check whether your vehicle qualifies for free repair.
BMW Not The First To Issue ‘Do Not Drive’ Alerts Over Takata Airbags
This announcement comes after Honda issued its own “do not drive” warning impacting its 2001 through 2003 Acura and Honda vehicles over the presence of defective Takata driver side airbag inflators.
This issue began to worry regulators in the early 2000s. As the first reports of injury and deadly accidents began to surface, regulators launched probes to look into the matter. Takata eventually pleaded guilty to criminal charges, paying $1 billion in penalties in 2017. Despite the ongoing campaigns targeting vehicles fitted with the defective airbags, the issue continues to plague automakers to this day.
If you own one of the recalled vehicles, contact BMW as soon as possible to schedule a repair.
For more on this recall, follow this link.
