Current:Home > MarketsBMW recalls SUVs after Takata air bag inflator blows apart, hurling shrapnel and injuring driver -EliteFunds
BMW recalls SUVs after Takata air bag inflator blows apart, hurling shrapnel and injuring driver
View
Date:2025-04-17 23:33:32
DETROIT (AP) — BMW is recalling a small number of SUVs in the U.S. because the driver’s air bag inflators can blow apart in a crash, hurling metal shrapnel and possibly injuring or killing people in the vehicles.
U.S. auto safety regulators say in documents posted Saturday that the recall covers 486 X3, X4 and X5 SUVs from the 2014 model year that are equipped with air bags made by Takata Corp. of Japan.
The recall raises questions about the safety of about 30 million Takata inflators that are under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Most have not been recalled.
Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash. But the chemical can deteriorate over time when exposed to high temperatures and humidity. It can explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister and spewing shrapnel.
At least 26 people have been killed in the U.S. by Takata inflators since May 2009, and at least 30 have died worldwide including people in Malaysia and Australia. In addition, about 400 people have been injured.
Potential for a dangerous malfunction led to the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with at least 67 million Takata inflators involved. The U.S. government says many have not been repaired. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide. The exploding air bags sent Takata into bankruptcy.
Documents say the inflators in the BMWs have a moisture absorbing chemical called a dessicant that were not part of previous recalls.
BMW says in documents that in November, it was told of a complaint to NHTSA that the driver’s air bag in a 2014 X3 had ruptured. The automaker began investigating and hasn’t determined an exact cause. But preliminary information points to a manufacturing problem from Feb. 22, 2014 to March 7, 2014, the documents said.
The German automaker says in documents that it’s still investigating but it has not yet been able to inspect the X3 with the faulty air bag.
NHTSA records show a complaint saying that on Oct. 23, the inflator on a 2014 X3 exploded in Chicago, sending a large piece of metal into the driver’s lung. The driver also had chest and shoulder cuts that appeared to be caused by shrapnel, the complaint said. A surgeon removed a gold-colored disc from the driver’s lung, according to the complaint, which did not identify the driver.
NHTSA says Takata air bags with a dessicant are under investigation because they have the potential to explode and expel shrapnel. The investigation opened in 2021 covers more than 30 million inflators in over 200 models from 20 car and truck makers, including Honda, Stellantis, General Motors, Ford, Nissan, Tesla, BMW, Toyota, Jaguar Land Rover, Daimler Vans, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche, Mazda, Karma, Fisker, Spartan Fire vehicles.
The agency decided in May of 2020 not to recall the inflators with the dessicant, but said it would monitor them.
“While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled dessicated inflators,” the agency said in a document opening the probe.
A spokeswoman for NHTSA said Saturday she would check into the status of the investigation. A message was left seeking comment from BMW.
In the BMW recall, dealers will replace the air bags at no cost to owners, who will be notified by letter starting Jan. 16.
The BMW recall comes after General Motors recalled nearly 900 vehicles in July with Takata inflators that have the dessicant. GM also blamed the problem on a manufacturing defect at Takata.
In a statement about the GM recall last summer, NHTSA said the agency did not have any data suggesting that other dessicated Takata inflators might rupture.
veryGood! (2326)
Related
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- Amazon Prime Day 2023 Home & Kitchen Deals: Save Big on Dyson, Keurig, Nespresso & More Must-Have Brands
- Climate Change Makes Things Harder for Unhoused Veterans
- Britney Spears’ Upcoming Memoir Has a Release Date—And Its Sooner Than You Might Think
- Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
- Colson Whitehead channels the paranoia and fear of 1970s NYC in 'Crook Manifesto'
- 'Oppenheimer' looks at the building of the bomb, and the lingering fallout
- Prime Day 2023 Deal: 30% Off the Celeb-Loved Laneige Lip Mask Used by Sydney Sweeney, Alix Earle & More
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Inflation eases to its lowest in over two years, but it's still running a bit high
Ranking
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
- Amazon Prime Day 2023: Fashion Deals Under $50 From Levi's, New Balance, The Drop & More
- Reddit says new accessibility tools for moderators are coming. Mods are skeptical
- Is Threads really a 'Twitter killer'? Here's what we know so far
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- Dolly Parton Makes Surprise Appearance on Claim to Fame After Her Niece Is Eliminated
- Charli D'Amelio Shares 6 Deals You’ll Find in Her Amazon Cart for Prime Day 2023
- Fox's newest star Jesse Watters boasts a wink, a smirk, and a trail of outrage
Recommendation
Could your smelly farts help science?
Janet Yellen heads to China, seeking to ease tensions between the two economic powers
SAG-AFTRA agrees to contract extension with studios as negotiations continue
A Clean Energy Trifecta: Wind, Solar and Storage in the Same Project
John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
The EV Battery Boom Is Here, With Manufacturers Investing Billions in Midwest Factories
'Fresh Air' hosts Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley talk news, Detroit and psychedelics
Russia says talks possible on prisoner swap for detained U.S. reporter