Photo: BMW AG
On February 15th, the Bavarian automaker became aware of an X7 whose third-row seat may not have been manufactured according to specification by the supplier. Brose of Auburn Hills noted a missing compression spring, which prompted the Michigan-based supplier to investigate with BMW.
During field inspections in the European market, third-row seats were manually checked for the presence and proper installation of both compression springs. Not surprising anyone, it was found that “a number of seats did not have the proper configuration regarding compression springs.” Further analyses compared the results of the field inspections with the supplier’s production records, indicating that a more robust analysis was needed to identify affected seats. BMW did just that, identifying no fewer than 246 potentially affected vehicles delivered to customers in the U.S.
BMW of North America hasn’t received any reports, nor is otherwise aware of accidents or injuries related to this condition. The compression spring in question locks the backrest in place. In case of improper installation, the spring may dislodge, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
The 246 potentially affected vehicles range from the xDrive40i to the xDrive50i and M50i. Production dates range from January 4th, 2019 through February 3rd, 2022 for the 2019 through 2022 model years. BMW of North America believes that 1% of the recalled population exhibits the problem.
Curiously enough, the report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reads “NR” next to “how the recall condition was corrected in production.” NR stands for not reported, which is a bit uncanny. A slap on the wrist isn’t as effective as actually implementing a corrective action. Here’s hope that Brose – the world’s fourth-largest family-owned automotive supplier – did the right thing by implementing said correction.
Owner notification letters will be mailed on October 31st, and dealers have been instructed to inspect the third-row seats. In case of improperly installed compression springs, they’ll be removed and properly reinstalled. In case of missing compression springs, the technician will install brand-new springs.
BMW of North America hasn’t received any reports, nor is otherwise aware of accidents or injuries related to this condition. The compression spring in question locks the backrest in place. In case of improper installation, the spring may dislodge, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
The 246 potentially affected vehicles range from the xDrive40i to the xDrive50i and M50i. Production dates range from January 4th, 2019 through February 3rd, 2022 for the 2019 through 2022 model years. BMW of North America believes that 1% of the recalled population exhibits the problem.
Curiously enough, the report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reads “NR” next to “how the recall condition was corrected in production.” NR stands for not reported, which is a bit uncanny. A slap on the wrist isn’t as effective as actually implementing a corrective action. Here’s hope that Brose – the world’s fourth-largest family-owned automotive supplier – did the right thing by implementing said correction.
Owner notification letters will be mailed on October 31st, and dealers have been instructed to inspect the third-row seats. In case of improperly installed compression springs, they’ll be removed and properly reinstalled. In case of missing compression springs, the technician will install brand-new springs.
Google News