BMW recalls 150,000 vehicles for airbag sensor fix
Friday, 15 August 2008
FRANKFURT, Aug 14 (Reuters): BMW will recall around 150,000 vehicles in North America to fix a possible defect that may keep the front passenger airbag from opening in a crash, the world's biggest premium carmaker said Thursday.
The voluntary recall concerns the front passenger airbag seat sensor mat in certain 2004-2006 model year vehicles, a company spokesman in Munich said.
US traffic safety regulators had referred to 200,000 such vehicles, but the spokesman said 50,000 of them had already received new mats that function properly.
"It is definitely only a problem for the US and Canadian markets," the spokesman added, noting those two countries required sensors to detect if a baby seat or a grown person was occupying the passenger seat.
Models affected include certain 2006 3-Series, 2004-06 5-Series and 2004-06 X3 vehicles.
BMW said it would start sending letters to customers in late September and that affected owners could continue to drive their vehicles unless the airbag warning lamp and the passenger airbag 'on-off' lamp illuminated simultaneously.
The voluntary recall concerns the front passenger airbag seat sensor mat in certain 2004-2006 model year vehicles, a company spokesman in Munich said.
US traffic safety regulators had referred to 200,000 such vehicles, but the spokesman said 50,000 of them had already received new mats that function properly.
"It is definitely only a problem for the US and Canadian markets," the spokesman added, noting those two countries required sensors to detect if a baby seat or a grown person was occupying the passenger seat.
Models affected include certain 2006 3-Series, 2004-06 5-Series and 2004-06 X3 vehicles.
BMW said it would start sending letters to customers in late September and that affected owners could continue to drive their vehicles unless the airbag warning lamp and the passenger airbag 'on-off' lamp illuminated simultaneously.