BMW recalls 16 lakh units of 3 Series globally

The German carmaker has decided to recall 16 lakh units of its BMW 3 Series sedan globally amid fears over the safety of airbags in vehicles. BMW will replace the passenger-side front airbags due to potential problems involving rupturing inflators. This recall will affect BMW 3 Series cars manufactured between May 1999 and August 2000.

BMW has issued this recall as a precautionary measure as other automakers using similar systems have reported issues. The airbag systems manufactured by Takata made use of a faulty propellant. When these airbags deploy, the propellant can cause the bags to rip, spraying occupants with shrapnel.

Auto manufacturers such as Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota have also recalled their vehicles in the past due to these issues.

According to BMW no reports of problems in its vehicles have been reported till date. Dealers will replace the passenger-side front airbags. This new recall excludes 42,000 BMWs recalled in May 2013 for the same problem. BMW has stated that it is recalling all vehicles equipped with potentially faulty airbag systems regardless of where they were sold.