The scandal surrounding defective Takata airbags is one of the most infamous in the auto industry, but even more than a decade on from the first recall associated with the issue, there are still cars out there with potentially explosive airbags that could be hazardous or even deadly to drivers. A new recall issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerns 2000 and 2001 model BMW X5 SUVs, and it requires urgent attention. Due to the age of these vehicles, a relatively small number of X5s has been recalled, but this is not an issue to be taken lightly.
More Than 5,000 BMW X5s Recalled
BMW
The recall documents, which expand on previous NHTSA recall 19V015, say that 5,361 vehicles equipped with a sport steering wheel containing a Takata PSDI-4 airbag inflator are potentially affected by the issue, with the inflators vulnerable to explosion during deployment. This is due to the propellant in the inflators degrading after long-term exposure to “high absolute humidity, temperature, and temperature cycling.” So why are we still seeing this problem when the Takata airbag issue was so widely publicized and documented?
According to the report on NHTSA recall 25V748, a new review of technical campaigns conducted in the middle of this year determined that certain X5 vehicles produced before April 2000 “technically could be retrofitted with a sports steering wheel” containing the faulty inflator. Basically, out of an abundance of caution, BMW is checking these older X5s because some customers may have retrofitted a sports steering wheel for aesthetic reasons without being aware of the potentially faulty components.
What To Expect If Your X5 Is Impacted
BMW
As with any other safety recall, and despite the fact that these potentially deadly airbag systems may have been installed by the affected customers, BMW will inspect and, if necessary, replace the driver’s front airbag. Owners will be notified by First Class mail and schedule appointments for repair on December 23. Given the severity of the problem, some may wish to inspect the airbags themselves, and part number 6757891 refers, but we’d strongly advise against this. If the airbag explodes, which is possible even if the battery is disconnected, it could be fatal. If possible, it’s best to simply avoid driving the car until VINs involved in the recall become searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 23.
