|
Japanese supplier Takata and carmakers including
BMW have been recalling vehicles on concern their air bags could
rupture upon activation. Five deaths, including four in the
United States, have been linked to the air bags.
BMW said the recall and the review were precautionary measures.
BMW said they are not aware of any of its cars experiencing an
air bag inflator malfunction in the field.
On Tuesday, the U.S. auto safety regulator, the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), told Takata and the
carmakers to broaden the recall.
"We will work together with the NHTSA regarding the new request
to extend the driver-side airbag campaign. If required, we will
take the appropriate action, and implement it as quickly as
possible," BMW said in a statement.
BMW has been checking 1.6 million cars since July to change the
passenger-side air bag of a previous generation 3-series sedan.
It said it was already exchanging 12,000 driver-side air bags
installed in older 3-series models, which are referred to as the
E46 model generation.
Germany's federal vehicle authority, the Kraftfahrt Bundesamt,
said on Wednesday it was monitoring the implementation of the
global recall in Germany, and that it was unaware of any faulty
air bag deployments in Europe.
(Reporting by Edward Taylor; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
