German carmaker BMW is recalling more than 390,000 vehicles in the United States due to faulty airbag inflators that could potentially explode, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Wednesday.
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.
More than 30 deaths — including at least 26 in the United States — and hundreds of injuries since 2009 have been attributed to Takata airbags fitted to vehicles of various automakers.
Over the past decade, more than 100 million vehicles fitted with Takata airbag inflators have been recalled worldwide.
Once the world’s leading supplier of airbags, Takata filed for bankruptcy in 2017 after the scandal.
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.
