German automaker BMW is recalling more than 390,000 vehicles in the U.S. because of defective airbag inflators that may explode upon deployment, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Wednesday.
The recall covers certain BMW 3 Series Sedans and Sportwagon models that were manufactured between 2006 and 2012.
The vehicles may have a steering wheel with a Takata PSDI-5 airbag inflator that was installed by owners after purchase, 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 following investigations by Takata and independent researchers, NHTSA said.
An explosion of the airbag inflator could cause sharp metal fragments to hit the driver and other occupants of the vehicle, which could cause injury or death, NHTSA explained.
The faulty airbag inflators were manufactured by Japanese automotive parts manufacturer Takata and have been at the center of the largest and most complex recall in the history of the automotive industry.
Takata was once the world's leading supplier of airbags and filed for bankruptcy in 2017 amid the widespread recalls.
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Over 30 deaths, including at least 26 in the U.S., and hundreds of injuries have been attributed to Takata airbags in vehicles made by a variety of automakers since 2009.
In the last decade, more than 100 million vehicles with Takata airbag inflators have been recalled worldwide.
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In May 2023, BMW issued a "do not drive" warning for 90,000 older model vehicles with Takata airbags in the U.S. that included the 2000-2006 BMW 3 Series (E46) models including M3, 2000-2003 5 Series (E39) including M5, and 2000-2004 X5s (E53).
Reuters contributed to this report.
