BMW warns older models are too dangerous to drive due to airbag recall: NPR

BMW is warning the owners of about 90,000 older vehicles in the US not to drive them due to a growing threat that the airbags could explode in a crash.

Matthias Schrader/AP

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Matthias Schrader/AP

BMW is warning the owners of about 90,000 older vehicles in the US not to drive them due to a growing threat that the airbags could explode in a crash.

Matthias Schrader/AP

DETROIT BMW is warning the owners of about 90,000 older vehicles in the US not to drive them due to a growing threat that the airbags could explode in a crash.

The alert affects 2000 through 2006 model years vehicles that had previously been recalled to replace faulty and dangerous Takata air bag inflators.

The company used volatile ammonium nitrate to inflate the airbags in a crash. But the chemical can deteriorate over time when exposed to heat and humidity and blow apart a metal canister, hurling shrapnel that can injure or kill drivers and passengers.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says drivers should park their vehicles and contact BMW for more information. Repairs are available to owners free of charge, along with mobile repair and free towing.

“These vehicles are between 17 and 22 years old and the risk to the occupants is high,” the agency said in a statement Thursday. “These are some of the oldest Takata airbags to be recalled and have an extremely high probability of failure in a crash.”

NHTSA says if the inflators blow apart, metal fragments could be hurled at the driver’s face and kill them or cause “devastating, life-altering injuries.”

Since 2009, Takata’s exploding airbags have killed at least 33 people worldwide, including 24 in the United States. Most of the deaths and about 400 injuries occurred in the US, but also in Australia and Malaysia.

Models affected by the BMW recall include the 3 Series from 2000 through 2006, the 5 Series from 2000 through 2003, and the X5 from 2000 through 2004. All have front airbag inflators. driver, made by Takata.

Owners can go BMW website to check if their vehicle has been affected or call BMW Customer Relations at (866) 835-8615. NHTSA also has one recall search tool on its website.

Owners of some older Honda, Ford and Stellantis vehicles with Takata inflators have previously been told not to drive them.

“These inflators are now two decades old and they have a 50% chance of rupturing even in a minor crash,” NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson said in a statement. “Don’t gamble with your life or the life of someone you love, schedule your free repair today before it’s too late.”

Takata used ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate airbags in a crash. But the chemical can become more volatile over time with exposure to moisture in the air and repeated high temperatures. The explosion could rupture a metal canister and throw shrapnel into the passenger compartment.

Since 2009, exploding airbags have killed at least 33 people worldwide, including 24 in the United States.

Most of the deaths and about 400 injuries occurred in the US, but also in Australia and Malaysia.

Potential for the dangerous malfunction led to the largest series of automobile recalls in U.S. history, with at least 67 million Takata inflators recalled. The US government says many have not been repaired. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide. The exploding airbags sent Japan’s Takata Corp. bankrupt.