Regulators, in particular The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was concerned some vehicles may have been modified by owners to be fitted with Sport or M Sport steering wheels – high-performance steering wheels similar to those used in race cars – that use airbags made by Takata, a now-bankrupt supplier.
“Certain vehicles may have been equipped with a Sport or M Sport steering wheel that is equipped with a Takata driver’s front airbag module containing a PSDI-5 inflator that may have been installed by the owner, even though it is not officially offered/approved by BMW as a replacement part,” NHTSA wrote. the Recall announcement.
The recall adds to a growing list of safety issues linked to Takata airbags. Went out of business Sold in 2017 Takata sold off its assets. Over the years, various automakers have recalled tens of millions of Takata airbags. In the past two years alone, at least four manufacturers have issued “do not drive” warnings related to the presence of Takata airbags in older vehicles.
According to NHTSA, in older airbags, the inflator — the device that pumps gas into the airbag to make it inflate quickly — can experience excessive internal pressure during deployment, which can cause the inflator to burst and send metal shrapnel flying.
According to the NHTSA recall, BMW has not received any reports of accidents or injuries related to the steering wheel issue in the U.S. report Submitted on July 3. Dealers will be notified. They plan to report the issue on Wednesday and contact the owner. August 23rd.
Auto recalls often only affect a portion of vehicles, and Michael Brooks of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety said no major automaker has gone so far as to remove all Takata airbags from cars it has sold, leaving millions of them on the road.
Get caught up in
Stories to keep you up to date
Brooks said many of those airbags have now reached a point of deterioration where they have as much as a 50 percent chance of bursting.
“This is a major concern now, and in five years many more vehicles will reach the age where it’s a major concern,” he said. “As long as airbags are on the road, we’re going to see tragedies happen.”
According to auto information company Carfax, an estimated 6.4 million U.S. vehicles are equipped with Takata airbags as of May 2024.
