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BCN-09
CHINA-AUTOMOBILE-TRANSPORT-BMW-RECALL
BMW to recall 360,000 China cars over Takata airbags
SHANGHAI, April 17, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Germany’s BMW will recall 360,000
vehicles in China as part of the worldwide effort to root out defective
airbags made by now-defunct Japanese supplier Takata, regulators in Beijing
said.
Around 20 people have died in accidents linked to defects in Takata
airbags since 2013, prompting a massive worldwide recall of at least 100
million cars from a wide range of manufacturers.
The recall will affect nearly 273,000 models built by BMW’s joint venture
with Chinese manufacturer Brilliance Automotive and more than 87,000 imported
BMW cars, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation said.
The agency said in statement posted on its website late Tuesday that a
defect could cause the airbags to eject debris at passengers if deployed.
It did not mention any specific incidents caused by the BMW-installed
airbags.
The China recall affects more than two dozen different BMW models built
between 2000 and 2018, including several each in the i, X and M series, along
with other models.
The suspect parts will be replaced for free, the notice said.
Founded in 1933, Takata went out of business in 2017 because of the airbag
crisis.
The BMW announcement came as global carmakers were gathered for the
Shanghai Auto Show amid a rare sales slump in the world’s largest vehicle
market.
BSS/AFP/HR/0910