The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2011 BMW 528i, 528xi, 535i, 535xi, 550i and 550xi vehicles manufactured March 1, 2010, through August 31, 2011. The affected vehicles may have received a replacement Sensor Cluster Unit (SCU) during a service visit. These SCUs have an acceleration sensor that may have been incorrectly programmed and, as a result, the SCU may not accurately determine if activation and deployment of the air bags, safety belt pre-tensioners and head restraints is necessary in the event of a crash.
The risk
Depending on the severity of the crash, inadequate activation of the driver and/or passenger air bags, safety belt pre-tensioners and active head restraints may increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the SCU, free of charge. The recall began on December 16, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| BMW 528i | 2011 |
| BMW 535i | 2011 |
| BMW 550i | 2011 |
Components: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW 528i | 2011 | 118 | 4 |
| BMW 535i | 2011 | 112 | 4 |
| BMW 550i | 2011 | 84 | 3 |
Other air bags recalls in 2016
92 of the 919 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2016 concerned the air bags; BMW of North America, LLC filed 347 campaigns in all.
| 16V946000 30 Dec 2016 | Porsche Cars North America, Inc. |
| 16V956000 30 Dec 2016 | Hyundai Motor America |
| 16V943000 29 Dec 2016 | Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC |
| 16V941000 29 Dec 2016 | Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC |
| 16V939000 28 Dec 2016 | Nissan North America, Inc. |
| 16V953000 28 Dec 2016 | Chrysler (FCA US LLC) |
| 16V935000 27 Dec 2016 | Daimler Vans USA, LLC |
| 16V947000 22 Dec 2016 | Chrysler (FCA US LLC) |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2016