BMW Recalls 200,000 Vehicles Over Faulty Air Bag Detection System

Washington, DCA high-end vehicle manufacturer not often caught having to recall vehicles has today issued a recall notice for 200,000 vehicles due to a potentially faulty passenger airbag detection system.

The German automaker BMW AG has recalled the 2006 3 Series, the 2004-2006 5 Series, and the 2004-2006 X3 compact sport utility vehicles sold in the US, the result of an ongoing investigation with regard to the airbag system. The issue at play surrounds the detection system that logs whether, or not a passenger is present in the front passenger seat.

The system is designed to de-activate the front passenger air bag when the front passenger seat is empty, and an air-bag on/off lamp is lit, indicating that the airbag has been de-activated. However, the automaker has been getting reports that passengers actively sitting in the front passenger seat have noticed that the 'airbag off' lamp for their seat is illuminated, suggesting that the airbag has been incorrectly de-activated.

The problem appears to be a detection mat. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), small cracks in the mat can compromise the system.

Such an occurrence could have tragic ramifications in a crash. While the automaker reports that the head protection system is not affected, nonetheless the airbag issue has triggered a recall of about 200,000 vehicles.

It should be noted, however, that it appears the airbag detection problem is not limited to the cars identified in the August 13th recall, based on an investigation initially started by the NHTSA in September of last year, and upgraded to a probe in January. By that time, according to the NHTSA, BMW had received 23,739 warranty claims over the airbag issue.

In addition to the models identified in the recall, the NHTSA has been scrutinizing the 2004-2006 Z4, 2006 X5, 2006 6 Series and some 2004-2006 7 Series vehicles. However, those vehicles were not included in the recall. According to the Associated Press, a spokesperson for BMW AG indicated that there was insufficient data to determine whether a recall would be required for those additional problematic vehicles not named in Wednesday's recall.

It has been reported that BMW intends to extend warranty coverage for affected vehicles to ten years with no mileage limit, and under the extended warranty offer the detection mat would be replaced at no charge to the customer. It was not immediately clear if the offer was available only to the 200,000 vehicles recalled yesterday, or to all the vehicles known to have problems.

The automaker indicated it would advise all affected vehicle owners, by mail, by the end of September.

Vehicles identified by BMW as qualifying for the immediate extended warranty coverage are the 2006 6 Series, 2006 3 Series with standard seat, 2004-2005 Z4, 2004-2006 7 Series, 2006 X5, and 2004-2006 5 Series with comfort seats.