- BMW is recalling 38,000 2008-'11 1 Series vehicles in the U.S. because of a possible fire hazard.
- In a crash of sufficient severity, deployment of the front pretensioner and load-limiter occurs, and the insulation around it may ignite.
- No actual fires have been reported.
WASHINGTON — BMW is recalling 38,000 2008-'11 1 Series cars in the U.S. because of a possible fire hazard, according to the automaker and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
"In a crash of sufficient severity, deployment of the front pretensioner and load-limiter occurs," said NHTSA in its recalls summary of the problem. "The insulation around the pretensioner could ignite."
In a phone conversation with Inside Line on Monday, BMW spokesman Dave Buchko said that there have been "no crashes or injuries" related to the recall. When asked if there had been any fires, he said: "I don't believe there have been fires, per se. Some instances of smoldering." When asked to provide the number of smoldering incidents, Buchko said he didn't "have a count on that."
BMW has not yet provided NHTSA with a remedy or an owner notification schedule for the recall. But Buchko said that 1 Series vehicles built from January through May 2010 will likely be repaired first "because we don't need to replace the pretensioner." He said that "owners should wait for a letter [from BMW] to make this a coordinated effort" before taking the car into the dealership. "Those repairs will begin pretty quickly," he said.
The older models under the recall will require the replacement of the pretensioner, Buchko said. "Others will receive a notice when we can effect the repair," he added.
Owners can contact BMW at 800-525-7417.
Inside Line says: If you own the aforementioned BMW 1 Series, be aware of this recall and expect to hear from the automaker. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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