BMW urges 12,633 owners to stop driving immediately, following fatality

**aussiblue** · 10-11-2019, 02:00 AM

https://www.smh.com.au/business/cons...07-p538h6.html

Quote:

BMW has taken the unprecedented step of asking owners of 12,663 of its 3 Series models made from 1997 to 2000 to stop driving immediately because their cars may have faulty airbags linked to a fatality and a serious injury in two separate crashes in Australia.

A safety bulletin issued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on Thursday afternoon says: "Owners of affected vehicles should stop driving their vehicle immediately and urgently contact their local BMW dealership or call BMW Australia’s Takata hotline directly on 1800 243 675 to organise their free vehicle inspection.
"Vehicles will be either towed to the place of inspection or a mobile technician will come to inspect the vehicle at the [owner’s] home or the vehicle’s location," the notice says.

If the vehicle does contain a suspected faulty airbag, BMW will offer to arrange a loan or rental car or "reimbursement for alternative transport costs" until parts are available for an airbag replacement, or until other arrangements can be made.

Customers may also discuss "the vehicle being purchased by BMW", the ACCC says.

CarAdvice understands the replacement airbag parts may not be ready for up to 18 months, potentially leaving thousands of motorists stranded, hence the offer of a rental car, loan car, taxi fares or a vehicle buyback.

Authorities are yet to reveal in which states and when the fatality and serious injury occurred. The fatality is still before the coroner.

However, CarAdvice understands both incidents happened in the past three months.

If the death is found to have been a result of a faulty airbag, it will be the second on Australia roads due to a defective Takata safety device, which can spray shrapnel when deployed in a crash. The serious injury would also be the second of its type in Australia linked to Takata. ......

Also for those that can bear John Cadogan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W-iVrcyGXc