Lawsuits have been filed and BMW has recalled thousands of vehicles with defective airbags that can explode and shoot out deadly metal shrapnel, even after minor fender-benders.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting BMW airbag induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was injured or killed by metal from a BMW airbag explosion, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
What is the Problem?
ARC Automotive and Delphi Automotive manufactured about 52 million airbag inflators that can potentially rupture and shoot out metal shrapnel, causing severe injury or death to people in the vehicle.
These airbag inflators were made between 2000 and January 2018, and installed in vehicles made by 12 auto-makers, including BMW.
Two deaths and 7 serious injuries have been linked to ARC airbag explosions in the U.S. and Canada since 2009, according to a safety report published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in August 2023.
BMW Recalls ARC Airbags on 2017 BMW X5
In March 2017, BMW recalled certain X5 vehicles because the ARC airbag could potentially rupture and shoot out metal fragments that can hit people inside the vehicle.
“If the inflator cannot vent properly, the inflator may rupture, resulting in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants and causing serious injury or death.”
The recall includes certain 2017 X5 sDrive35i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive50i, X5 xDrive35d, and X5 xDrive40e vehicles.
The problem is that the airbag inflators “may not vent properly in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag,” according to the recall.
Why Do ARC Airbags Explode?
NHTSA investigators believe that ARC airbag inflators can explode due to a manufacturing problem. During the welding process, extra debris called “weld slag” is sometimes left behind inside the metal canister that houses the airbag inflator.
If this debris is big enough, it clogs a hole that is supposed to allow gases to escape and inflate the airbag. The excess pressure blows apart the canister, shooting out metal shrapnel that injures or kills people in the vehicle. The metal also rips the airbag, causing it to fail to inflate properly in a crash, according to the NHTSA.
BMW Airbag Class Action Lawsuit for ARC Airbags
In November 2022, a BMW class action lawsuit was filed by owners who claim that certain BMWs contain ARC airbag inflators that can explode and shoot out metal shrapnel, causing severe injury or death.
According to the lawsuit, ARC airbag inflators are found in the following BMW vehicles:
- 2014-2017 BMW i3
- 2014-2017 MINI Cooper 2-Door
- 2015-2017 MINI Cooper 4-Door
- 2016-2017 MINI Cooper Convertible
- 2016-2017 BMW X1
- 2014-2017 BMW X5
- 2015-2017 BMW X6
BMW is accused of failing to recall these vehicles to repair the airbags, despite an ongoing investigation by the NHTSA since at least July 2015 based on reports of ARC airbag injuries and deaths.
In one case, a woman named Lois Dutton was involved in a low-speed collision as she turned into her driveway. The airbag inflator ruptured and metal hit an artery in her neck. She survived, but said afterward, “It looked like someone had shot a gun at the windshield.”
The BMW airbag lawsuit was filed against BMW and ARC automotive on September 23, 2022 in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina (Charleston Division) — Case Number 2:22-cv-03244-BHH.
Takata Airbags vs. ARC Airbag Explosions
The problem with ARC airbags is different than the problem with Takata airbags, although in both cases, metal shrapnel can shoot out of the airbag when it deploys.
ARC airbag ruptures are linked to a welding problem during manufacturing, whereas Takta airbag ruptures are linked to a problem with the chemical propellant — ammonium nitrate — which can become too volatile over time (especially in hot and humid climates) and burn all at once, blowing apart the airbag inflator’s metal canister.
BMW Pays $131 Million Settlement in Takata Airbag Class Action
Lawsuits involving Takata airbags have been ongoing for years, and BMW has already paid a $131 million settlement in airbag lawsuits for economic losses related to lost resale value on vehicles.
BMW Says “DO NOT DRIVE” 90,000 Vehicles With Takata Airbags
In May 2023, BMW warned owners of 90,000 older-model vehicles not to drive them because the driver-side frontal Takata airbags have a 50% change of exploding and shooting out metal shrapnel in a crash.
The “risk to vehicle occupants is dire” because the airbags “have an extremely high probability of failure during a crash,” according to a warning issued by the NHTSA.
The heightened warning covers the following high-risk vehicles:
- 2000-2006 BMW 3 Series (E46) including M3
- 2000-2003 BMW 5 Series (E39) including M5
- 2000-2004 BMW X5s (E53)
Overall, BMW has recalled thousands of vehicles with Takata airbags, including:
- 2008-2013 1 Series
- 2000-2013 3 Series
- 2000-2003 5 Series
- 2013-2015 X1
- 2007-2010 X3
- 2000-2004 X5
- 2007-2013 X5
- 2008-2014 X6
Complete List of BMW Vehicles
The BMW Group is a German auto-manufacturer that owns several brands, including:
- BMW
- MINI
- Rolls-Royce
BMW sold more than a dozen types of vehicles from the 2000 to 2018 model-years, including:
- BMW Z8 (2000 – 2003)
- BMW 7 Series (E65/E66) (2001 – 2008)
- BMW Z4 (E85/E86) (2002 – 2008)
- BMW 5 Series (E60/E61) (2003 – 2010)
- BMW 6 Series (E63/E64) (2003 – 2010)
- BMW X3 (E83) (2003 – 2010)
- BMW 1 Series (E81/E82/E87/E88) (2004 – 2013)
- BMW 3 Series (E90/E91/E92/E93) (2005 – 2013)
- BMW X5 (E70) (2006 – 2013)
- BMW X6 (E71) (2008 – 2014)
- BMW 7 Series (F01/F02) (2008 – 2015)
- BMW Z4 (E89) (2009 – 2016)
- BMW X1 (E84) (2009 – 2015)
- BMW 5 Series (F07/F10/F11) (2010 – 2017)
- BMW 6 Series (F06/F12/F13) (2011 – 2018)
- BMW X3 (F25) (2011 – 2017)
- BMW 1 Series (F20/F21) (2011 – 2019)
- BMW 3 Series (F30/F31/F34) (2011 – 2020)
- BMW i3 (2013 – present)
- BMW 4 Series (F32/F33/F36) (2013 – 2020)
- BMW 2 Series (F22/F23) (2013 – present)
- BMW X5 (F15) (2013 – 2018)
- BMW 2 Series (F45/F46) (2014 – present)
- BMW i8 (2014 – 2020)
- BMW X4 (F26) (2014 – 2018)
- BMW X6 (F16) (2014 – 2019)
- BMW X1 (F48) (2015 – present)
- BMW 7 Series (G11/G12) (2015 – present)
- BMW 5 Series (G30/G31) (2016 – present)
- BMW 6 Series (G32) (2017 – present)
- BMW X2 (F39) (2018 – present)
- BMW X3 (G01) (2017 – present)
- BMW X4 (G02) (2018 – present)
- BMW X5 (G05) (2018 – present)
- BMW 8 Series (G14/G15/G16) (2018 – present)
- BMW Z4 (G29) (2018 – present)
Do I have a BMW Airbag Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting BMW airbag induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was injured or killed by metal from a BMW airbag explosion, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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