BMW is recalling nearly 400,000 vehicles after officials learned that defective airbag inflators may explode when deployed.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on July 3rd that certain BMW 3 Series four-door Sedans with model years 2006 through 2011 and 3 Series Sportswagon vehicles from 2009 to 2011 modified to include sport or M-sport steering wheels could be dangerous. Some of the steering wheels include a PSDI-5 inflator manufactured by Takata, which went bankrupt in 2017.
The PSDI-5 inflator quickly shoots gas into the airbags during a collision. Takata and independent researchers discovered that the inflators in question could rupture if exposed to high temperatures and humidity for several years. This could cause metal fragments to explode if the airbag is deployed.
Vehicle Recall Is “A Critical Concern”
Michael Brooks of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety told the Washington Post that many of the airbags have as high as a 50% chance of rupturing.
“It’s a critical concern now,” he said. “In five years, we’re going to have even more vehicles reaching the age where they are at a critical concern.”
BMW has not reported any incidents or injuries since discovering the issue. The NHTSA will notify dealers about the BMW vehicles included in the recall. However, because many owners modified their steering wheels after purchasing their cars, drivers should ensure they did not use steering wheels containing a Takata PSDI-5 inflator.
This story’s featured image is by TonyV3112.
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