BMW Recalls 2008-2011 1 Series Vehicles for Front Seat Belt Fire Risk
BMW is recalling 2008-2011 1 Series vehicles because insulation near the front seat belt pre-tensioner could ignite in a crash.
What this means for you
Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).
The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.
Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect where insulation could ignite during a crash, which aligns with the rubric criteria for a Severe (4) rating involving structural defects or significant injury/property-damage risks.
Plain-English summary
BMW of North America, LLC is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 1 Series vehicles. The recall involves the front seat belt retractors. In a crash of sufficient severity, the deployment of the front pre-tensioner and load-limiter occurs. The insulation around the pre-tensioner could ignite during this deployment.
The recall affects 31,935 vehicles. For vehicles produced up through December 2009, dealers will install new front safety belt retractor units and modify the sound insulation near the units. For vehicles produced between January 2010 and May 2010, dealers will modify the sound insulation near the units. This service will be performed free of charge.
The safety recall began on August 23, 2010. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
The recalled product
- Product
- BMW 1 SERIES
- Brand
- BMW
- Manufacturer
- BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC
- Category
- Vehicle — Seat Belts
- Hazard
- Affected units
- 31,935
Is your product affected?
Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.
Model numbers (1)
- 1 SERIES
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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