By John Smith
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – German automaker BMW announced on Wednesday that it is recalling 394,000 vehicles in the United States due to faulty airbag inflators that could pose a serious safety risk, according to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The defective airbag inflators could potentially explode, releasing sharp metal fragments that could cause harm to the driver or passengers, NHTSA warned.
BMW explained that the recall pertains to airbag inflators that were previously recalled, but some vehicles may have received a replacement steering wheel with a defective airbag.
Owners are advised to bring their vehicles to dealers for inspection, and if a steering wheel with a faulty airbag is found, it will be replaced. BMW stated that there have been no reported crashes or injuries related to this new recall.
The problematic airbag inflators, manufactured by Japanese company Takata Corp, are at the center of the largest recall effort in automotive history. More than 30 fatalities, including at least 26 in the U.S., as well as numerous injuries since 2009, have been linked to Takata airbags installed in vehicles from various manufacturers.
In 2020, NHTSA confirmed a U.S. fatality resulting from a Takata airbag inflator rupture in a BMW accident in Arizona.
Over the past decade, over 100 million vehicles worldwide equipped with Takata airbag inflators have been recalled.
Formerly a major airbag supplier, Takata declared bankruptcy in 2017 following the scandal.
The latest recall affects specific BMW 3 Series Sedans and Sportswagon models from the 2006 to 2012 model years.