BMW to Owners: ‘Do Not Drive’ These Cars Until Fixed

BMW is out with a dire warning for some car owners: stop driving the vehicles.

The automaker is urging certain car owners to get deadly Takata airbags removed from their vehicles immediately. BMW has been alerting owners to the dangers of the defective airbags - which have been tied to several accidents and deaths across the US - since at least 2016, Autoblog reports.

“These vehicles are 17 to 22 years old, and the risk to vehicle occupants is dire,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement posted to its website. “These are some of the oldest Takata airbags under recall and have an extremely high probability of failure during a crash. If the inflators rupture, the metal fragments ejected toward the driver’s face could kill or leave them with devastating, life-altering injuries.”

The company’s new “do not drive” warning covers some 90,000 cars, including certain 2000-2006 BMW 3 Series (E46) including M3, as well as 2000-2003 5 Series (E39) including M5. It also extends to 2000-2004 X5s (E53) equipped with certain driver’s front airbag inflators manufactured by Takata.

Roughly 100 million vehicles have been recalled across the globe over the last decade because of malfunctioning Takata airbags. The Takata recall is the largest by far on record in the U.S.

The recall came after reports of exploding safety devices causing accidents, injuries and even death. More than 30 people reportedly have been killed as a result of the defective airbags. Most of the accidents, injuries and deaths have taken place in the U.S.

Takata eventually paid $1 billion to settle a Justice Department probe into claims that it failed to warn consumers of the problem. The company later filed for bankruptcy and was sold.

“If you have a model year 2000-2006 BMW with a recalled Takata air bag, get it repaired immediately – for free,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman said in the statement. “These inflators are two decades old now and, with every day that passes, they become even more dangerous as they can rupture even in a minor crash.”

How the California Lemon Law Works

BMW and other owners in California have some important rights and protections under the state’s lemon law.

Formally known as the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, the lemon law generally requires car manufacturers to perform a wide range of repairs on vehicles while they are under warranty. It also forces those companies to buy back covered vehicles that they are not able or flat out refuse to fix. That includes compensating the owner for the car’s purchase price, along with financing fees, rental car costs and other related expenses.

Talk with a California Lemon Law Attorney

If you have been stuck with a defective or malfunctioning vehicle, a California lemon law attorney at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help you fight back.  

Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with a California lemon law attorney.