Model year record

2001 BMW 540IAT

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. No owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 03V421000

Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive

Component
Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
Manufacturer
BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE
Vehicles affected
23,000
Reported to NHTSA
2003-10-24
Owners notified
2003-11-10

Defect description

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A MICROPROCESSOR IN THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE, WHICH ACTIVATES THE FRONT AIR BAGS, THE SIDE AIR BAGS, THE FRONT SEAT SAFETY BELT PRETENSIONERS, AND THE BATTERY SAFETY TERMINAL, MAY HAVE A MALFUNCTION THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UNINTENDED ACTIVATION OF ONE OR MORE OF THESE COMPONENTS.

Safety risk

UNEXPECTED DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG(S) COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY IF AN OCCUPANT IS TOO CLOSE TO THE DEPLOYING AIR BAG(S). IN ADDITION, THE BATTERY SAFETY TERMINAL MAY ALSO BE ACTIVATED. IF THAT HAPPENS, THE STARTER CABLE WOULD BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM THE BATTERY, AND THE ENGINE COULD NOT BE RESTARTED.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN NOVEMBER10, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

No complaints recorded for this model year.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.