BMW recalls 394,000 vehicles with Takata airbags

The organizers are particularly Toyota Motor Corp. has expressed concern that some vehicles may have been modified by owners to include sport or M-sport steering wheels — high-performance steering wheels similar to those found on race cars — that use airbags made by now-defunct supplier Takata, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Some vehicles may have a sport or M-sport steering wheel equipped with a Takata driver front airbag module that contains a PSDI-5 inflator that can be installed by the owner, although it is not officially offered or approved by BMW as a replacement part,” NHTSA wrote in that it Call for action.

The latest recall adds to a list of safety problems with airbags made by Takata, which went bankrupt in 2017 and sold Several automakers have recalled tens of millions of Takata airbags over the years, and even in the past two years, at least four manufacturers have issued “do not drive” warnings related to Takata airbags in older vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the inflator in older airbags, which releases gas into the airbag to quickly inflate it, may experience excessive internal pressure when it deploys. This can cause the inflator to rupture, sending metal fragments flying outward.

BMW has not received any reports of crashes or injuries in the United States related to the steering wheel issue, according to the NHTSA recall. a report Application submitted on July 3. Merchants will be notified. From the case on Wednesday and the owners will be contacted by August 23.

It’s common for recalls to be limited to a fraction of the vehicles affected. No major automaker has come close to removing all Takata airbags from previously sold vehicles, leaving millions of them on the road, says Michael Brooks of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety.

Many of those airbags are now at an age where they have a 50 percent chance of exploding, Brooks added.

“It's a very important issue now, and in five years we're going to see more vehicles reaching the age where it becomes a major concern. As long as these airbags are on the road, we're going to see tragedies happen,” he said.

An estimated 6.4 million U.S. vehicles are still equipped with Takata airbags through May 2024, according to vehicle information company Carfax.