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NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V047
Manufacturer BMW of North America, LLC
Components AIR BAGS
Potential Number of Units Affected 230,117
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver’s frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Summary
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2002 BMW 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 323Ci, 325Ci, 330Ci, M3, 323iT, 325iT and 325xiT vehicles, 2001-2002 525i, 530i, 540i, M5, 525iT and 540iT vehicles, and 2001-2003 X5 3.0i, X5 4.4i, and X5 4.6is vehicles.
These vehicles may have had a driver-side air bag module installed as replacement equipment such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bag, or as a remedy part for a prior recall.
These replacement modules contain an air bag inflator that may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to lower absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver side air bag module, replacing it as necessary, free of charge.
The recall is expected to begin March 15, 2017.
Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
SITUATION
BMW AG is conducting a Voluntary Safety Recall on certain E39, E46 and E53 vehicles, involving the driver’s front air bag module. This recall campaign involves the Takata PSDI-4 inflator which entered the spare parts supply chain, and may have been installed in vehicles during service or repair events
All customers affected by this Recall are being sent letters in March 2017. The letter will inform them that their vehicle is affected by this Recall. To assist you with customer concerns, please reference the attached Q&Athat will be updated as information becomes available.
AFFECTED VEHICLES
TThis Recall Campaign involves a total vehicle population of approximately 230,000 vehicles from Model Year 2000 thru 2003. The number of potentially affected vehicles is much smaller and we expect only around 2% of these vehicles will require parts replacement.
Vehicles in dealer inventory are affected by this recall/stop. Vehicles which require this Recall Campaign to be completed will show it as “Open” when checked either in AIR, the “Service Menu” of DCSnet (Dealer Communication System) or with the Key Reader.
Affected vehicles may have received a Takata PSDI-4 driver front air bag as a replacement part even though the affected vehicles were NOT produced with Takata air bags. The replacement Takata air bag part is “backwards compatible” with the original non-Takata air bag. The air bag will be checked on all affected vehicles and replaced if necessary.
CAUSE
Due to a supplier production error, certain air bags from supplier Takata may not have been produced to specifications.