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Federal filingsHome›Recalls› 16V914000
NHTSA campaign 16V914000

2016–2017 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce: air bags recall

If the air bag inflator initiator fails to ignite, the seat-mounted air bag will not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.

high 3,506 vehicles affected 88% reported repaired

What was reported

Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573
Problem BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2017 BMW 640i, 640i xDrive, 650i, 650i xDrive, M6, 535i, 535i xDrive, 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive, M4, X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, i3, i8, Rolls-Royce Dawn, Mini Clubman Cooper, Clubman Cooper S, Cooper All4, Cooper S All4, Mini 4-Door Cooper, Cooper S, Mini 2-Door Cooper, Cooper S, John Cooper Works and 2016 BMW 528i, 528i xDrive, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i, 550i xDrive, M5 and 535d vehicles. The affected vehicles have seat- mounted side air bag inflator initiators that may fail to ignite during a crash. Risk If the air bag inflator initiator fails to ignite, the seat-mounted air bag will not deploy, increasing the risk of injury. Fix BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began February 6, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Reported to NHTSA Dec 20, 2016 by BMW of North America, LLC, owners notified Feb 10, 2017.

What that means, in plain English

Source: WhichTrim's reading of the filing above — not NHTSA's wording

A seat-mounted side airbag that fails to deploy in a crash materially reduces occupant protection, fitting the high category for airbag non-deployment.

Written for us by a language model from the manufacturer's filed text, which is quoted in full above. Where the two differ, the filing is the record and this is only our summary of it.

The fix, from the dealer bulletin

Source: NHTSA remedy instructions and dealer notice
Stop-sale Not stated in the dealer documents
Remedy Instructions filed: the dealer bulletin exists

Parts named

Part numberDescriptionQty
83 30 2 450 405
00 00 0 000 000Parts will review the VIN
72 12 9 262 201bag module F55 F56
72 12 9 262 202
72 12 9 302 311bag module F54 F57
72 12 9 302 3121
07 14 9 165 429Oval-head screw ISA M6X16
72 12 7 363 723Left-hand head air bag F541
72 12 7 363 724Right-hand head air bag F541
07 14 7 265 827Blind rivet 4 per air bag

Labour, as the warranty table lists it

  • 3 h · op 00 64 744 · Replace driver or front passenger knee air bag
  • 23 h · op 00 64 746 · Replace left or right head air bags (only F54
  • 26 h · op 00 64 747 · Replace both head air bags (only F54 without
  • 26 h · op 00 64 761 · Replace left or right head air bag (only F54 with
  • 28 h · op 00 64 784 · Replace both head air bags (only F54 with panorama
  • 5 h · op 00 64 256 · Replace driver or front passenger knee air bag

The operation code and time the manufacturer pays the dealer; a customer-pay estimate elsewhere is a different number.

Special tools

  • 83 30 2 230
  • 142 does not properly engage the release tabs within the spring clips. A revised special tool 83 30 2 450 405

Read from NHTSA’s copy of the manufacturer’s dealer documents. The procedure itself is in the bulletin; a franchised dealer has the current copy on the manufacturer’s portal, and that copy governs. Working a lot or a fleet? Recall Watch carries this line on every VIN it checks: remedy status, hours, stop-sale.

Which vehicles are covered

Source: NHTSA campaign 16V914000

Vehicles built Jul 29, 2016 to Dec 13, 2016 — a VIN outside that window is not part of this campaign even if the year, make and model match.

Model yearClassSafety SignalRecalls on file
2017 BMW 4 SeriesCompact SedanB2
2016 BMW 5 SeriesMidsize SedanF7
2017 BMW 5 SeriesMidsize SedanB2
2017 BMW 6 SeriesCompact SedanA1
2016 BMW MCompact SedanD7
2017 BMW MCompact SedanD6
2017 BMW X1Compact SUVC4
2017 BMW i3Compact HatchbackC3
2017 BMW i8ConvertibleA1
2017 MINI ClubmanMidsize HatchbackB2
2017 MINI CooperCompact HatchbackB3
2017 Rolls-Royce DawnCompact SedanB2

Those are the model years inside WhichTrim's range, 2016 onward. The campaign may cover others outside it, and the only thing that settles whether one specific vehicle is included is its VIN.

How much of it has been fixed

Source: manufacturer quarterly report, 49 CFR 573.7
Reported repaired 88%

of the campaign

The final figure: the six quarters of reporting that 49 cfr 573.7 requires have closed.

This is the manufacturer's own cumulative count of vehicles it has inspected and repaired, divided by the vehicles the campaign covers. It files that count with NHTSA every quarter for six consecutive quarters, starting from the quarter in which owners were told a remedy was ready, and then the obligation ends — so a figure on an older campaign is where the count stopped, not where it stands today.

It rarely reaches 100%, and not because the work was not done. The same report asks manufacturers to count vehicles they could not reach at all — exported, stolen, scrapped, or simply never located — and those stay in the denominator. A low number means a lot of these vehicles are still out there unrepaired; it does not tell you which ones.

The federal paperwork

Source: nhtsa.gov

Check one specific vehicle

A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. Type the VIN and the WhichTrim recall report checks this campaign’s build window and engine against it.

Campaign 16V914000

Own one, or run a fleet? Recall Watch checks each VIN against every new NHTSA campaign and emails you when one lands, this one's expansions included. Or take a free one-line alert by model year.

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A recall covers a build range. Only your VIN settles it.

Check it with the WhichTrim recall report now, or have us check it every night and email you when something new is filed.

Photo: Taiga Miyamoto / Unsplash

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573

Does this recall repair cost anything?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy a safety defect or a compliance failure at no charge, for vehicles up to 15 years old measured from the date of first sale. A dealer that asks you to pay for a recall repair is in the wrong.

How do I know whether my vehicle is included?

By VIN, not by model year. This campaign covers vehicles built Jul 29, 2016 to Dec 13, 2016. The manufacturer files a build range with NHTSA and only vehicles inside it are covered, so two identical-looking cars from the same year can differ. NHTSA's own lookup checks a VIN against the manufacturer's list.

What if the repair is not available yet?

It happens, and often. Manufacturers must notify owners when a defect is found even if the parts or the software are not ready, then notify them a second time once the remedy exists. The remedy filed for this campaign is described above.

What did the manufacturer say was wrong?

The problem, risk and fix quoted on this page are the manufacturer's own words as filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR Part 573. WhichTrim does not paraphrase them.

Who started this recall?

NHTSA's record credits the manufacturer. A recall can begin with the manufacturer's own testing, with a defect investigation, or with a compliance test against a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.