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BMW is recalling 390,000 vehicles in the U.S. as part of the massive Takata airbag recall. The faulty airbag inflator could potentially explode, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. From Reuters:
An explosion of the inflator could cause sharp metal fragments to strike the driver or other car occupants, potentially leading to injury or death, the U.S. auto safety regulator said.
The faulty airbag inflators, PSDI-5, manufactured by Japanese automotive parts company Takata Corp, have become part of the largest, most complex recall process in auto history.
Over 30 deaths, including at least 26 in the U.S., and hundreds of injuries have been attributed to the Takata airbag issue since 2009. In the past 10 years, over 100 million vehicles fitted with the faulty part have been recalled worldwide.
The latest BMW recall includes certain BMW 3 Series Sedans and Sportswagon models manufactured between 2006 to 2012.
These vehicles may have a steering wheel with a PSDI-5 inflator installed by owners, even though it was not officially approved by BMW as a replacement part.
The PSDI-5 inflator has been found to be susceptible to rupture after several years of exposure to persistent high temperatures and humidity, investigations by Takata and independent laboratories have found, said the NHTSA.
At one point, Takata was the world’s largest airbag supplier. It filed for bankruptcy back in 2017 following news breaking about the scandal.
A version of this article appeared on Jalopnik’s The Morning Shift.