Just had a letter recalling my 320d for a new passenger airbag due to issues of high humidity upsetting the module! Car is almost 12 years old and I am the 3rd owner. I am hoping they will give the car a valet when I take it in as it really is looking a bit scruffy 🙂

Anyone else had a recall on a similarly old car?

Indicators?

I know someone who has just had a 2001 M3 recalled for what sounds like the same issue.

EDIT: I wonder if it’s related to this? if so that’s a hell of a lot of cars!

I wish moto guzzi had been so on the ball – oil cooler pipe banjo failure content

Its been a really bad year for recalls – nearly 60 million vehicles in the US, thats 1 in 5 vehicles on the road apparently.

Lots of airbag recalls across several brands as apparently there are only a couple of airbag companies and one has the humidity issue, another issue is bags ejecting shrapnel when they fire, Honda have been fined big time for underreporting injuries and deaths, and GM have something like 40 deaths on their hands due to faulty ignition barrels 😯

But I’m surprised they are recalling 12 yr old vehicles, don’t most say the airbags should be replaced after 10 years or so?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30751781

BMW have long used recalls to get you back in the show room and be nice to you, i know at least two people who didn’t know they needed a new car:-)

I just had recall notice for 2003 yaris, for airbag as well…

Me and Mrs MC have both had recall notices on our 2005 320Ds.

No its quite common and this has only been done as air bag light on is now an mot failure.this is the only reason bmw have recalled it as they have always been aware of the fault.they won,t vallet the car but they will give it a free health check which on a 12 yrd old bmw not seen a dealership in a while could prove costly as they don,t fix anything they just print you off a long list of defective items.

Ive not had a letter yet, but I’ve only had the car 4 days !

Yep… 05 320d touring. Letter was brilliant. We need to recall this, just not yet as we don’t have the bits..! It’ll be a while before we get the bits so don’t worry…

Just had my 53 plate Accord in for the passenger airbag too.

Volvo T5 Estate I had years ago had a sticker on the doorframe reminding you to replace all the airbags after 10 years,that’s steering wheel airbag,passenger side dash bag,seatbags and front and rear doorbags. Ouch!. Sold it after 5 years……, Other makes since not noticed any nagging notices,but may have been buried somewhere in the owners manuals?. 😥

Airbags do need replacing after about 10 years. Quite surprised though that BM are doing a recall on a 12 year old vehicle. Suggests that they or the bag manufacturers detected a problem quite a while ago and were just waiting for a tipping point in failures before acting.

So how much is it to replace an airbag? According to the sticker in my fiat it’s about a decade overdue for a change.

The airbag recall is due to potentially dangerous Takata airbags firing metal in the occupants when activated http://blog.caranddriver.com/massive-takata-airbag-recall-everything-you-need-to-know-including-full-list-of-affected-vehicles/.

Regarding the 10 year life – this article states it isn’t necessary http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8078919/Out-of-date-airbags-should-not-need-replacing.html

My Grans suzuki Wagon thing was recalled this month for airbags – 52 plate

Toyota replaced the ENGINE and the cat on our corolla free of charge as they wanted the old one for analysis.

3rd owner but admittedly only 6 years old.

I had the same recall letter for my 2004 320d – waiting for next one to say they have parts.

Yep, Toyota also did a mass airbag recall last year across numerous models. The wifes 02 plate Corolla was done.

Haha, looks like the Civic is due a new bag as well, hopefully they’ll fix the dodgy horn switch whilst they’re at it 😀

Probably a good moment to link the VOSA recall search tool:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/default.asp?tx=

Paulwf –

Approximately 17 million vehicles are potentially affected in the United States, and another 7 million have been recalled worldwide.

That’s, er, a lot.

Had recall on my 2002 honda CRV for same issue.

Both our airbags were changed in the yaris this week. Plus full valet and top up of fluids. 8)

So the job was done today. Must admit it was a pretty painless process. Drop keys at service desk. Drink a few cups of tidy coffee in china cups (with saucers!) and eat choc-chip cookies, while reading mags and papers and surfing on free wifi. Car returned with full wash and valet and an extensive health check that was passed with flying colours (much to the chagrin of the service manager 🙂 ). Shame I am still feeling under the weather or it would have been combined with some MTBing in a nearby wood, but you can’t have everything.

Hope everyone else affected has a similar positive experience.