Problems With Takata Airbags, BMW Withdraws 90 Thousand Vehicles

BMW 3 Series E46. (Doc. BMW Blog)

JAKARTA - BMW issued a "Do Not Drive" warning in the US for production vehicles in 2000 and 2006, accounting for around 90,000 units.

This problematic BMW model is caused by airbags from damaged Takata. The models affected were 3 Series E46 produced 2000-2006, 5 Series E39 produced 2000-2003, and X5 E53 produced 2000-2004. This also includes M3 and M5, reported from Motor1, Thursday, May 4.

To note, the recall case involving an airbag of Takata is the largest in US history, totaling millions of vehicles from several brands and models.

This is not the first time this has happened for BMW. Previously, BMW had recalled airbags from Takata a decade ago. Since then, BMW has started conducting intensive programs for customers in 2016 and has handled about 87 percent of affected vehicles.

Claus Eberhart, vice president aftersales BMW North America, said that it realized airbags from Takata were unsafe and BMW realized it was taking it seriously.

"We know this airbag is only becoming more dangerous over time, which is why we are taking other steps to get these parts out of our vehicles", Eberhart said in his official statement.

The occurrence of airbag failure produced by Takata was caused by a damaged airbag inflator containing a damaged propellant after being exposed to long-term temperature fluctuations. Thus, air bag inflators if broken will make sharp metal shards spread towards passengers.

By the end of 2022, there were 30 deaths in the world, 24 of which occurred in the US caused by the damaged airbag.

Consumers who have affected vehicles, can immediately repair them to the official BMW workshop without the need to spend a penny.

BMW tidak sendiri melakukan recall yang disebabkan oleh airbag Takata. Pada Februari, Honda menarik beberapa model produksi tahun 2001-2003 termasuk Acura. Pada November 2022, Stellantis menarik kembali 276,000 kendaraan yang terdiri dari Dodgekah, Charger, Challenger, dan Chrysler 300, produksi tahun 2005 hingga 2010.

In Indonesia, Nissan has just decided to withdraw several models due to airbag inflators that have the potential to fail which can make drivers injured and even cause death.