2015 BMW 4 Series convertibles recalled to fix airbag programming woes
Tue, Mar 31 2015
A problem with the airbags on the 4 Series convertible has promoted BMW and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue a recall for some 2,000 vehicles across the United States.
The issue, according to the notice below, relates to the driver's side front airbag, whose timing for deployment may be off. And if the airbag doesn't deploy at the right time in the event of a crash, that's more likely to result in an injury.
As a result, BMW of North America is calling in 2,067 vehicles – specifically the 428i, 428i xDrive, 435i and 435i xDrive convertibles of the 2015 model year and manufactured between October 22, 2014, and February 27, 2015. Those units will simply need to have the software in the airbag control module reset, and will begin undertaking that process in April.
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NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V148000
Component(s): AIR BAGS
Potential Number of Units Affected: 2,067
Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
SUMMARY:
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2015 428i Convertible, 428i xDrive Convertible, 435i Convertible, and 435i xDrive Convertible vehicles manufactured October 22, 2014, to February 27, 2015. Due to a programming error, the driver's front air bag deployment timing may be incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
CONSEQUENCE:
If the driver's front air bag deployment timing is incorrect, there is an increased risk of personal injury in the event of a vehicle crash.
REMEDY:
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the air bag control module with corrected software version, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in April 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NOTES:
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
By Noah Joseph
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