
Takata airbag scandal will shake up the automotive industry for years. It was shown to the public for the first time in the early 2010s. Takata Corporation was a Japanese manufacturer of airbags used by many car manufacturers. Honda, Toyota, Ford, BMW, Volkswagen : most brands used this manufacturer for one or more of their models. But over the years there have been repeated failures… The main problem came from a ammonium azide propellant, which is used to inflate the airbags in the event of a collision. This chemical compound can degrade over time, especially in high heat and humidity. This deterioration can cause a excessive inflation of the airbag during its deploymentdue to which metal fragments fly around the cabin at high speed.
Millions of cars have been recalled around the world for 10 years
Due to the seriousness of the problem, many automakers had to recall millions of cars equipped with Takata airbags. They took place all over the world. Takata pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy in 2017 and agreed to pay significant fines. Several car manufacturers were participation in the legal process and had to pay compensation to the victims. Takata went bankrupt in 2018. However, 5 years later, their airbags continue to make headlines. In fact, BMW is announcing a broad recall campaign today that covers everything 19,300 models were sold in France. More specifically, models produced from March 6, 2012 to December 29, 2015.
Several BMW models are affected by the new recall
More about the models in question:
- Series 1 (all bodies)
- Series 2 (all bodies) and M2
- Series 3 and M3 (all bodies)
- Series 4 and M4 (all bodies)
- Series 5 and M5 (all bodies)
- X1
- X3
- X4
- X5 and X5M
- X6 AND X6M
According to BMW, each workshop intervention takes 25 to 35 minutes.
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Source: Auto Plus

Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.