The biggest safety recall in Australian history is back, with BMW issuing a recall notice for more than 60,000 cars.
The recall notice for BMW vehicles manufactured between 2004 and 2017 states that “some vehicles may have been post-production converted to steering wheel variants containing the defective Takata inflator”.
“As a result, the driver's airbag inflator may burst if the airbag is activated.
“In the event of a crash, a defective air bag inflator can rupture, compressed gas and metal fragments can be ejected by the air bag towards the occupants of the vehicle, causing serious injury or death.”
Defective Takata airbag inflators have been linked to more than 30 deaths and 300 injuries worldwide.
Sydney man Huy Neng Ngo was killed in 2017 when the airbag in his Honda exploded and killed him in an accident.
A coronial inquest into Mr Ngo's death found his injuries were similar to those caused by a shotgun.
BMW sells accessory steering wheels as a way for enthusiasts to customize their cars.
The brand does not expect to replace the inflator in tens of thousands of vehicles.
The recall for BMW models is an international campaign involving nearly 400,000 vehicles in the US.
The US NHTSA issued a statement that “certain vehicles may contain a sport or M-sport steering wheel equipped with a Takata driver's front airbag module that includes a PSDI-5 inflator that may have been installed by the owner, even though it is not officially offered/approved by BMW as a replacement part.” .
Affected vehicles in Australia include 47,536 F-series models such as the F80 3-series sedan and F82 4-series coupe, as well as 15,582 X1, X3, 1 and 3-series models built between 2004 and 2014.
Owners of affected cars must upload photos of their steering wheel and VIN plate to BMW's recall website or book the car in to dealers for a professional inspection.
The recall notice states that “if the airbag inflator is found to be defective, the airbag (with center horn) will be replaced free of charge. The steering wheel will not need to be replaced,” he said.
“All work is completed free of charge.”
Faulty airbag inflators made by disgraced safety firm Takata have prompted a recall of more than 3 million cars in Australia and more than 100 million worldwide.
The ACCC rocked the car industry in 2018 with the country's first mandatory recall in a campaign that forced manufacturers to replace inflators in millions of cars.
Center for Auto Safety spokesman Michael Brooks told the Washington Post that aging Takata airbag inflators that remain on the road pose a “critical problem.”
It's a critical issue now, and in five years we'll have even more vehicles reaching the age where they're a critical issue,” he said.
