BMW to recall nearly 200 000 cars for faulty airbags

Beijing - German luxury carmaker BMW will recall nearly 200 000 vehicles in China because of flawed airbags, according to the country's quality regulator and the company.

Some 168 861 imported cars produced between December 2005 and December 2011, and 24 750 vehicles produced locally between July 2005 and December 2011 will be recalled, according to a statement posted Friday (Dec. 24) on the official website of China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (ASDIQ).

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Gas generators in the defective airbags of the recalled cars could break unexpectedly, creating debris that poses a threat to riders' safety, ASDIQ said.

The company will replace the flawed gas generators in the airbags for free, it said.

Earlier in December, BMW China said they would recall some 22 543 imported BMW and Rolls-Royce vehicles also with flawed airbags.

The airbags in some imported BMW and Rolls-Royce cars produced between 2011 and 2012 might not deploy properly due to a programming error, the company said.