BMW is recalling 1,145 vehicles in the United States due to a potentially dangerous defect that may cause the driver’s airbag to explode during deployment, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Wednesday. This recall affects several models, including the 2015 6 Series Gran Coupe, 2014 5 Series Gran Turismo, and 2014 5 Series sedans, all equipped with airbag inflators manufactured by Japanese parts maker Takata Corp.
The Takata airbags have a manufacturing defect that causes them to expel sharp fragments during airbag deployment, potentially striking the driver or other occupants. This defect has been linked to over 30 deaths worldwide, including at least 26 in the United States, and hundreds of injuries since 2009.
To address this safety concern, BMW will replace the driver’s front airbag free of charge. This follows a similar recall last week, where the German automaker recalled 394,000 vehicles in the U.S., including 3 Series sedans and Sportswagon models from the 2006 to 2012 model years, for the same issue.
In 2020, the NHTSA identified a U.S. death tied to a Takata airbag inflator rupture in a BMW crash in Arizona, underscoring the defect’s severity and the recall’s importance.
