Recall · 20V017000
BMW of North America recalled 19 models over air bags
59,965
Vehicles covered
19
Models
113
Model years
January 15, 2020
Filed with NHTSA
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
- The defect
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 128i and 135i Convertibles, 128i, 135i, and M Coupes, 2007-2010 X3 30si and X3 xDrive30i, 2013-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i and X1 xDrive35i, 2007-2013 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335is, 335i xDrive and M3 Coupes, 2006-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi, 335i xDrive and M3, 2009-2011 335D, 2006-2012 325xi, 328i, 328xi and 328i xDrive, 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid, 2007-2013 328i, 335i, 335is, M3 Coupes, X5 30si, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 48i, X5 xDrive48i, X5 xDrive50i and X5 M, 2009-2013 X5 xDrive35d and 2008-2014 X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6M vehicles equipped with non-desiccated driver frontal air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
- What it can cause
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- What the dealer does
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver air bag. On X5 and X6 vehicles, only the inflator will be replaced. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 11, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
- NHTSA's note
- 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.
The repair is free, whatever the age or mileage of the vehicle, and whether or not you are the original owner.
Which vehicles
A recall reaches a range of VINs inside these model years, not every car built in them. Yours may not be covered even if it is listed here, and the only way to find out is NHTSA's own VIN lookup .
| Vehicle | Model years | Safety record |
|---|---|---|
| BMW1 Series M | 2008 to 2013 | Not published here |
| BMW128I | 2008 to 2013 | 2010201120122013 |
| BMW135I | 2008 to 2013 | 2010201120122013 |
| BMW325I | 2006 to 2011 | Not published here |
| BMW325XI | 2006 to 2012 | Not published here |
| BMW328I | 2006 to 2013 | 2010201120122013 |
| BMW328XI | 2006 to 2012 | 20102011 |
| BMW330I | 2006 to 2011 | Not published here |
| BMW330XI | 2006 to 2011 | Not published here |
| BMW335D | 2009 to 2011 | 20102011 |
| BMW335I | 2006 to 2013 | 2010201120122013 |
| BMW335IS | 2007 to 2013 | 2011 |
| BMW335XI | 2006 to 2011 | 20102011 |
| BMWM3 | 2006 to 2013 | 201020112013 |
| BMWX1 | 2013 to 2015 | 201320142015 |
| BMWX3 | 2007 to 2010 | 2010 |
| BMWX5 | 2007 to 2013 | 2010201120122013 |
| BMWX6 | 2008 to 2014 | 20102011201220132014 |
| BMWX6 Activehybrid SAC | 2010 to 2011 | Not published here |
How this campaign compares
At 59,965 vehicles this is a bigger campaign than 90% of the 19,818 vehicle recalls filed since 1995 whose size NHTSA published. The middle campaign on file covers 472. It covers model years 2006 to 2015, so the oldest vehicles on it were 14 model years old when the defect was reported to NHTSA.
BMW vehicles have been recalled over the air bags 44 times before this, most recently in November 2019 as 19V853000. That is not evidence the earlier repair failed.
This site holds the complaint record for 71 of the 113 model years the campaign names. Their owners have filed 6,513 complaints with NHTSA, 4,793 of them before this campaign was filed. 1,912 of those name the air bags, the system this recall is about — a count of complaints, not of this defect. The earliest of them reached NHTSA in September 2005, 14 years before this filing.
The vehicles on this campaign carry 6 other recalls published here, the newest being: 24V608000 (engine and engine cooling), 24V513000 (air bags), 23V707000 (engine and engine cooling), 22V119000 (engine and engine cooling).
Check your own car
A VIN check is the only answer for a specific vehicle, and it also shows every other open recall on it, which is usually the reason it is worth doing rather than reading one campaign.
Filed by BMW of North America, LLC with NHTSA on January 15, 2020 as campaign 20V017000. Every word of the defect, consequence and remedy above is NHTSA's published record of that filing, not a summary of it.
Compiled and maintained by guarledes . Data last checked 2020-01-15.
Independent developer and analyst