2001 model years. About 8,000 definitely have
faulty inflators and should be parked, BMW said.
The rest can still be driven.
In addition, certain Audi, Honda, Toyota and
Mitsubishi vehicles made from 1995 to 2000 also
are being recalled, but information on which
models was not available.
Unlike previous recalls, the Takata non-azide
inflators do not use volatile ammonium nitrate
to fill the air bags in a crash. But the air bag
propellant can still deteriorate over time when
exposed to moisture and explode too fast,
blowing apart the inflator body. They also might
not fully inflate to protect people in a crash.
Takata says in government documents that
it made about 4.5 million of the inflators
worldwide but only a portion are still in use
because the vehicles are so old. The faulty
inflators have problems with insufficient seals.
Toyota and Honda said they’re still figuring out
which models will have to be recalled. U.S. safety
regulators said they were told by Mitsubishi that
the only U.S. vehicle affected is the 1998 through
2000 Montero. A company spokesman was
seeking more information.
In a statement, Audi said it is investigating
whether any 1997 to 1999 model year A4, A6,
A8, or TT vehicles are affected in the U.S.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration said in a statement that it is in
discussions with automakers about the recalls. It
urged owners to search for recalls in the coming
weeks by entering their vehicle identification
number at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls
In the BMW recalls, the company is
recommending that people stop driving certain