More Airbag Recalls Hit Lexus, BMW and Mercedes

Following on the back of Toyota’s recent airbag recall, premium sibling brand Lexus has issued a recall notice that affects NX200t, NX300h, RX200t, RX350 and RX450h models produced from May to December 2015.

The issue is caused by the same faulty airbag sensor unit that affects Toyota vehicles produced during the same time period and relates to a complication in the production process for the insulation layer that covers the Integrated Circuit chip. Overtime, the coating may peel and expose circuitry that prevents airbags from deploying.

Affected units will display the airbag warning light on the dash and the front and/or side airbags may become disabled, increasing the likelihood of injury in an incident.

Lexus is contacting owners by mail and expects repairs will commence once parts are available sometime after March.

A full list of affected Lexus vehicles can be found on the product safety Australia website.

BMW has added 2022 vehicles to the long list of cars affected by faulty Takata airbag inflator units. The recall affects E70 X5 and E71 X6 SUVs built in 2013 and specifically that the front passenger airbag unit could rupture and seriously injury or kill the occupant. 

The Takata recall saga has hit numerous manufacturers and is the largest recall in automotive history. Up to one in two of the deadly Alpha airbag units could fail and a Honda owner died last year in Sydney despite repeated efforts by the Japanese manufacturer to contact them to have the car fixed.

BMW will notify affected customers and request they have the unit replaced free of charge but says concerned owners should contact their nearest BMW dealership immediately.

Affected BMW vehicles have been listed on the product safety Australia website.

In a matter unrelated to the Takata airbag issue, rival German car maker Mercedes-Benz has also recalled 21,866 of its vehicles for an issue that could unpredictably deploy the driver’s airbag.

The problem is caused by a faulty steering column switch module and wiring that may lead to an electrostatic discharge if not grounded properly. Affected vehicle’s will display both an airbag warning message as well as a red airbag indicator lamp in the instrument cluster.

The fault is wide-ranging and affects GLA, CLA, GLC and A, B, C and E-Class vehicles produced from January 2012 to December 2013. The most affected models include 10,205 C-Class, 5900 A-Class and 4700 B-Class models. Just one E-Class requires inspection.

Spontaneous triggering of the airbag could increase the chance of an accident and/or injury occurring though Mercedes-Benz Australia says it is "not aware of any instances in Australia". 

Customers have been asked to contact their nearest Mercedes-Benz dealership to arrange an inspection and, if required, free repair of the faulty parts. 

A complete list of affected Mercedes-Benz vehicles can be found on the product Australia recall website.

MORE: Lexus | Mercedes-Benz | BMW | Safety | Recall