Mini News Defective Airbag Recall Expands to BMW i3 and 2014 MINI

Discussion in 'MINI News and Articles' started by Nathan, Sep 3, 2014.

  1. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    The National Highway Traffic Safety Association sent an e-mail, notifying owners of the new BMW i3 and 2014 MINI Cooper that a recall is going to take place to replace a possibly defective airbag inflator. Sounds familiar?

    That’s only because earlier this year, BMW joined other big manufacturers around the world in recalling almost 1.6 million E46 3 Series with possible defective passenger airbags. The cars were fitted with products made by the Takata Corporation.

    Now, a similar problem seems to be affecting the brand new i3 and MINI Cooper Hardtop models. According to the recall notice “If the air bag deploys improperly in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the air bags, the seat occupant may be at an increased risk of injury.â€

    As it turns out, only the BMW i3 models built on March 31, 2014 and the MINI Cooper Hardtops made between February 2 and May 30 are being recalled at the moment, the grand total rising to 27 cars.

    BMW will start notifying their owners this month, to replace the front passenger airbags, free of charge. In case you’re just worried about something going wrong, you can also contact BMW directly at 1-800-525-7417.
     
  2. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    "the air bag inflaters have detonated with too much force, causing the air bag to rupture and metal parts to fly around the insides of cars.".........

    Yup.... Time to park it on the side of the road and call for a tow...:eek6:
     
  3. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    Airbags can do more harm than good......

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  4. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    Yuck! But if you had a MINI emblem implanted in you by an airbag would that be bad? :biggrin5:
     
  5. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    Yes that would suck, because I would be in jail with MINI stamped on my head for killing the a-hole that hit my car. :lol:
     
  6. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    ^^^^^^^:lol::lol: but you may make some close friends! :yikes::lol:
     
  7. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    It would say MINI not tight....:lol::lol::lol::lol:
     
  8. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    I won't say it






    No I won't







    Oh ok







    I just wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idle about the MINI :D
     
  9. Steve

    Steve Administrator
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    Now the biggest recall in U.S. history, even eclipsing the poisoned Tylenol recall which was the biggest until today.....

    Takata Airbag Recall Spreads to 34M Vehicles in US
    “Takata has agreed to confirm that Takata airbag inflators are defective,†said Anthony Foxx, the U.S. transportation sectary. “It is fair to say this is the most complex consumer recall in U.S. history.â€

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been pushing Takata to declare these vehicles defective since November and even implemented a $14,000 a day fine against the company in February for not cooperating with investigators. The fine has been suspended as Takata signed a Consent Order today which requires the company to cooperate fully with all regulatory actions that NHTSA undertakes as part of its investigation.

    So far, the Takata airbag recall has affected about 17 million vehicles in the U.S., which means today’s announcement roughly doubles the size of the recall.

    Faulty Takata airbag inflators are linked to six deaths and more than 100 injuries, as they can rupture, causing metal shrapnel to be hurled at the occupants of the vehicle. The Japanese supplier has not pinpointed the root cause of the defect yet, simply saying that the propellant can degrade over time, increasing the risk of a rupture. Outside investigations point to moisture slowly seeping into the inflator, causing the chemical structure of the propellant to change. So far, areas with high humidity have been prioritized, but today’s announcement affects vehicles all over the country.

    NHTSA will now oversee the replacement of the faulty inflators and has already begun a formal legal process to get the process going. The replacement inflators will be tested by NHTSA to ensure they are safe, while the replacement process will prioritize vehicle repair based on highest risk in terms of vehicle age and geographic location.

    No more fines were announced by NHTSA today, but the current investigation may result in more penalties against Takata.

    More details on the affected vehicles are expected to be released by individual automakers in the coming days.
     
  10. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Maybe the world automotive manufacturers should think about establishing a second supplier for airbags... Seems like a monopoly, is Takata the only one...
    Everyone seems to be putting all their eggs in one basket...
    They are probably $0.01 cheaper than the other guy, so the volume goes to Takata...
    Wonder at what point will Takata just fold up.... Seems like this would be crazy costly to make right...
     
  11. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Maybe the world automotive manufacturers should think about establishing a second supplier for airbags... Seems like a monopoly, is Takata the only one...
    Everyone seems to be putting all their eggs in one basket...
    They are probably $0.01 cheaper than the other guy, so the volume goes to Takata...
    Wonder at what point will Takata just fold up.... Seems like this would be crazy costly to make right...
     
  12. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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  13. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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  14. Firebro17

    Firebro17 Dazed, but not Confused
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    I just noticed there's a Takata air bag on the Alcantara wheel I'd planned to install. I'm presently storing it in my garage cabinet and guess I'll do some research before going to the trouble.
     
  15. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Any way to figure out what year MINI's have the Takata's?
     

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