The Recall Desk
CriticalNHTSA·17V047000·Announced 2017-01-20

BMW Recalls 2000-2003 Models for Driver Air Bag Inflator Rupture Risk

BMW is recalling specific 2000-2003 3, 5, and X5 series vehicles because replacement driver-side air bag inflators may rupture during deployment, posing a risk of serious injury or death.

NHTSA safety advisory

Do not drive this vehicle

NHTSA advises owners to stop driving this vehicle until the recall repair has been completed.

This is the agency’s own advisory, not our assessment. Contact the manufacturer or a dealer, and see the official NHTSA notice for the current guidance.

What this means for you

Highest-severity recall. Risk of serious injury or death is documented or strongly suspected. Stop using the product now and follow the agency's instructions.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly states that the defect can result in 'serious injury or death' due to metal fragments striking occupants, which meets the rubric criteria for a Critical severity score.

Plain-English summary

BMW of North America, LLC is recalling certain 2000-2002 BMW 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 323Ci, 325Ci, 330Ci, M3, 323iT, 325iT, and 325xiT vehicles; 2001-2002 525i, 530i, 540i, M5, 525iT, and 540iT vehicles; and 2001-2003 X5 3.0i, X5 4.4i, and X5 4.6is vehicles. The recall affects vehicles that may have had a driver-side air bag module installed as replacement equipment after a crash or as a remedy part for a prior recall. These specific replacement modules contain an air bag inflator that may rupture due to propellant degradation caused by long-term exposure to lower absolute humidity, temperature, and temperature cycling.

In the event of a crash necessitating the deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture, causing metal fragments to strike the driver or other occupants. This failure mode results in a risk of serious injury or death. Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied.

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver-side air bag module, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 15, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
BMW 323, 320, 325, 330
Brand
BMW
Manufacturer
BMW of North America, LLC
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag / Inflator
Hazard
Affected units
230,117

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 (10)

  • 323
  • 320
  • 325
  • 330
  • 525
  • 530
  • M3
  • M5
  • 540
  • X5

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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