BMW to recall 1.4M cars in China over faulty airbags
BMW, the German luxury car manufacturer, is set to recall approximately 1.4 million vehicles in China due to defective airbags. This information was disclosed by China's market regulator on Friday. The issue pertains specifically to cars that have undergone steering wheel modifications, and are equipped with potentially faulty airbags from Japan's Takata Corporation.
Airbags could cause injury to occupants
China's State Administration for Market Regulation has warned that these defective Takata airbags could burst, causing fragments to be ejected and potentially harm passengers. The recall affects a range of models produced between 2003 and 2017. It includes nearly 600,000 cars manufactured domestically by BMW Brilliance Automotive, a joint venture company, as well as approximately 760,000 imported vehicles.
Free airbag replacement for defective cars
BMW has committed to replacing the front airbag at no cost for cars confirmed to have defects. This recall is not an isolated incident, as millions of vehicles equipped with Takata airbags have been recalled since 2014. The Japanese company filed for bankruptcy in 2017 following these widespread recalls. In 2021, Ford also recalled three million vehicles containing Takata airbags due to similar safety concerns.
BMW's previous recalls in the US
Earlier this year in July, BMW recalled about 400,000 cars in the US for the same airbag issue. The latest recall comes as China continues to dominate as the world's largest automotive market.
