BMW recalling more than 390,000 vehicles due to airbag inflator issue

WASHINGTON — BMW of North America is recalling more than 390,000 vehicles in the U.S. because they are equipped with airbag inflators that can explode, leading to a potentially serious injury or death.

The original steering wheel may have been replaced with a sport or M-sport steering wheel equipped with a Takata inflator, the agency said.

If the inflator explodes, it may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants of a vehicle, resulting in serious injury or death, the NHTSA said.

BMW has not received any reports of any accidents or injuries in the U.S. that may be related to this issue, according to the latest report.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Wednesday that the recall of 394,029 vehicles includes certain 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (324i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi), 2006-2012 3 Series Sportswagon (325xi, 328i, 328xi), and 2009-2011 3 Series Sedan (335d) vehicles.

BMW dealers will inspect and replace the driver’s air bag module as necessary for free.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on Aug. 23. Vehicle owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

Back in December, BMW announced it was recalling less than 500 SUVs for a similar issue related to Takata air bag inflators. That recall covered 486 X3, X4 and X5 SUVs from 2014.

At least 26 people have been killed in the U.S. by Takata inflators since May 2009, and at least 30 have died worldwide including people in Malaysia and Australia. In addition, about 400 people have been injured.