2000-2004 BMW 525I, BMW 530I and others recall: inflator module

BMW Of North America, LLC reported this safety recall on January 14, 2019. It covers about 157,549 vehicles.

vehicles affected: 157,549
reported: Jan 14, 2019
owners notified: Mar 14, 2019
related complaints: 70

Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module

What is wrong: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2000-2003 525i Sedan, 530i Sedan, 540i Sedan, 2001-2003 525i Sports Wagon and 540i Sports Wagon vehicles, and 2000-2004 X5 SAV 3.0i, X5 SAV 4.4i, and X5 SAV 4.6is vehicles. This recall affects certain vehicles where the original steering wheel has been replaced with the optional sports steering wheel. The sports steering wheel has a frontal air bag inflator that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle for an optional sports steering wheel with an affected inflator. Dealers will replace the air bag module as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 14, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.

Recall number 19V015000

Affected vehicles

BMW 525I 2000-2003 2000 2001 2002 2003
BMW 530I 2000-2003 2000 2001 2002 2003
BMW 540I 2000-2003 2000 2001 2002 2003
BMW X5 SAV 2000-2004 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Owner complaints about the same problem

Owners of these vehicles have filed 70 complaints about airbags problems.

2000 BMW 525I 2001 BMW 525I 2002 BMW 525I 2003 BMW 525I 2000 BMW 530I 2001 BMW 530I 2002 BMW 530I 2003 BMW 530I 2000 BMW 540I 2001 BMW 540I 2002 BMW 540I 2003 BMW 540I

Questions about recall 19V015000

Is there a recall on the 2000-2004 BMW 525I, BMW 530I and others inflator module?

Yes. Recall 19V015000, reported on January 14, 2019, covers about 157,549 vehicles.

What is the fix for recall 19V015000?

Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle for an optional sports steering wheel with an affected inflator. Dealers will replace the air bag module as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 14, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.

Is the recall repair free?

Safety recall repairs are done free of charge at authorized dealers. A dealer can confirm with the VIN whether a specific vehicle is included and whether the repair has already been done.

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