Airbag: BMW recalls 20,000 cars

New recall in the context of Takata airbags: BMW recalls in France nearly 20,000 models from the beginning of the 2010s, for a free replacement.

The Takata airbag scandal has been shaking the automotive industry for years. It was in the early 2010s that it was first revealed to the public. Takata Corporation was a Japanese airbag manufacturer used by many car manufacturers. Honda, Toyota, Ford, BMW, Volkswagen : most brands have used this manufacturer for one or more of their models. But over the years, recurring failures appeared… The major problem came from a ammonium azide propellant, used to inflate the air bags in the event of a collision. This chemical compound could degrade over time, especially in conditions of high heat and humidity. This degradation could cause a excessive explosion of the airbag during its deploymentcausing metal fragments to fly through the passenger compartment at high speed.

Millions of vehicles recalled around the world for 10 years

Due to the seriousness of the problem, many car manufacturers had to recall millions of vehicles fitted with Takata airbags. They took place all over the world. Takata pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy in 2017 and agreed to pay hefty fines. Several car manufacturers have been involved in legal proceedings and had to pay compensation to the victims. Takata went bankrupt in 2018. However, 5 years later, their airbags continue to make headlines. It is in fact BMW which is announcing today a vast recall campaign, which concerns in total 19,300 models sold in France. More specifically, models produced between March 06, 2012 and December 29, 2015.