Airbag recall on e46!

Airbag recall on e46!

Author
Discussion

demus24

Original Poster:

104 posts

145 months

Saturday 15th November 2014
quotequote all
just got a letter through the post stating my car needs a passenger airbag replacement ASAP, personally I've never heard of a recall on a 15 year old car before, anybody else had the same?

Butters

268 posts

250 months

Saturday 15th November 2014
quotequote all
Yes we have the same letter which arrived earlier in the week. Our car is a 330D Sport Touring on an 04 plate which we only purchased from a good friend a couple of months ago. Encouraging to see the system works for things like this.


StuntmanMike

11,671 posts

150 months

Saturday 15th November 2014
quotequote all
No letter for me, they never did like me.

E30M3SE

8,465 posts

195 months

Saturday 15th November 2014
quotequote all
Yes, letters are being rolled out. One of the lads at work received his a couple of weeks ago, but local dealer won't be changing the airbag until Jan 2015 due to parts back order.

4rephill

5,040 posts

177 months

Saturday 15th November 2014
quotequote all
demus24 said:
just got a letter through the post stating my car needs a passenger airbag replacement ASAP, personally I've never heard of a recall on a 15 year old car before, anybody else had the same?
There's no time limit on an official VOSA enforced safety recall - The car could be 3months old, 3 years old, 15 years old, 30 years old or whatever, a recall can still be called for and the repairs have to be carried out FOC by the manufacturer - They cannot charge you for repairs, regardless of how much work is required.


It also applies to the vehicle regardless of service history/change of ownership and anything else.

If the car is still in existence, then the manufacturer must make every effort to inform the current owner of the recall and make arrangements to have the vehicle repaired.

demus24

Original Poster:

104 posts

145 months

Saturday 15th November 2014
quotequote all
Just Got mine booked on the 28th of this month.

demus24

Original Poster:

104 posts

145 months

Saturday 15th November 2014
quotequote all
4rephill said:
There's no time limit on an official VOSA enforced safety recall - The car could be 3months old, 3 years old, 15 years old, 30 years old or whatever, a recall can still be called for and the repairs have to be carried out FOC by the manufacturer - They cannot charge you for repairs, regardless of how much work is required.


It also applies to the vehicle regardless of service history/change of ownership and anything else.

If the car is still in existence, then the manufacturer must make every effort to inform the current owner of the recall and make arrangements to have the vehicle repaired.
Ah ok, thanks

4rephill

5,040 posts

177 months

Saturday 15th November 2014
quotequote all
demus24 said:
4rephill said:
There's no time limit on an official VOSA enforced safety recall - The car could be 3months old, 3 years old, 15 years old, 30 years old or whatever, a recall can still be called for and the repairs have to be carried out FOC by the manufacturer - They cannot charge you for repairs, regardless of how much work is required.


It also applies to the vehicle regardless of service history/change of ownership and anything else.

If the car is still in existence, then the manufacturer must make every effort to inform the current owner of the recall and make arrangements to have the vehicle repaired.
Ah ok, thanks
I had a radiator cap recall on an E30 325i Sport when it was 12 years old and asked BMW about it.

They informed Me that they are legally obliged to sort out the repairs FOC regardless of the vehicles age if it is part of a VOSA safety recall.



BorkFactor

7,258 posts

157 months

Saturday 15th November 2014
quotequote all
Should I be expecting one for my 1998 E46?

Seems strange!

E30M3SE

8,465 posts

195 months

Saturday 15th November 2014
quotequote all
BorkFactor said:
Should I be expecting one for my 1998 E46?

Seems strange!
You can check your VIN here,

http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/searches/e...

4rephill

5,040 posts

177 months

Saturday 15th November 2014
quotequote all
E30M3SE said:
BorkFactor said:
Should I be expecting one for my 1998 E46?

Seems strange!
You can check your VIN here,

http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/searches/e...
+1 yes

Check your vin number as some recalls can be specific to cars built during certain time periods, whilst others can cover all vehicles in the model range and across all years.

If your car is affected then you should receive a letter through the post but the system is not perfect. Whilst the manufacturers make every effort to track down current owners, some can slip through the net (for example, if someone has recently sold their car then they may well receive the recall letter and not bother/not be able to inform the new owner).

demus24

Original Poster:

104 posts

145 months

Saturday 15th November 2014
quotequote all
I wonder if they will turn off my airbag light I have got on at the moment lol

to3m

1,226 posts

169 months

Saturday 15th November 2014
quotequote all
My parents had this done to their 320d (52 plate I think) last year, and mentioned it to me at the time, wondering whether my car needed it. (They take their car to a proper BMW garage, which they know I don't, so they rightly assumed I wouldn't have heard!) When I googled though it seemed the recall was for 2002 or later cars, and sure enough when I phoned up Sytner asking about my 51 plate 330d - built in September 2001 - they said nothing needed doing.

However my car's VIN appears to be in the range, and its manufacturing date certainly is! So maybe the recall net has widened over time?

ScoobyD

22 posts

216 months

Sunday 16th November 2014
quotequote all
Had mine done last month. Job's about 1.5 hours tops. I was lucky enough to get the last part they had available, they're on back order now until January I believe.

Even if you've not received the letter yet just call your local dealer, they all know about it.

helix402

7,832 posts

181 months

Sunday 16th November 2014
quotequote all
BorkFactor said:
Should I be expecting one for my 1998 E46?

Seems strange!
Your E46 is too early to be affected by the recall.

4rephill

5,040 posts

177 months

Sunday 16th November 2014
quotequote all
to3m said:
My parents had this done to their 320d (52 plate I think) last year, and mentioned it to me at the time, wondering whether my car needed it. (They take their car to a proper BMW garage, which they know I don't, so they rightly assumed I wouldn't have heard!) When I googled though it seemed the recall was for 2002 or later cars, and sure enough when I phoned up Sytner asking about my 51 plate 330d - built in September 2001 - they said nothing needed doing.

However my car's VIN appears to be in the range, and its manufacturing date certainly is! So maybe the recall net has widened over time?
Go back to a BMW Dealership and double check if your car requires the recall or not - It's not going to hurt to ask.

Matt_N

8,900 posts

201 months

Monday 17th November 2014
quotequote all
to3m said:
My parents had this done to their 320d (52 plate I think) last year, and mentioned it to me at the time, wondering whether my car needed it. (They take their car to a proper BMW garage, which they know I don't, so they rightly assumed I wouldn't have heard!) When I googled though it seemed the recall was for 2002 or later cars, and sure enough when I phoned up Sytner asking about my 51 plate 330d - built in September 2001 - they said nothing needed doing.

However my car's VIN appears to be in the range, and its manufacturing date certainly is! So maybe the recall net has widened over time?
I think they must have widened it as a few months ago I got one for my 52 plate 330i, then just last week a mate got one for his 2001 Y 325i.

miniman

24,827 posts

261 months

Monday 17th November 2014
quotequote all
I got this, no idea how to forward it on to whoever has the car now!

simes43

196 posts

232 months

Monday 17th November 2014
quotequote all
And only now do they admit there's a problem.

Any details on the nature of the recall?

My 2003 e46 M3's passinger air bag let go on the A14, wreaking the interior
when it was just 12 months old.

I ran over a plank of wood in the dark.

CJ1987

4,295 posts

151 months

Monday 17th November 2014
quotequote all
Well thats good timing i just bought a E46 but dont know if i will get the letter or the previous owner. If i dont get it can i still take it to BMW to fix or do i have to have the letter?