With an older car, drivers often notice the engine, brakes or body condition in particular. However, some safety features are easily forgotten, although they can be decisive in an accident. One such case is airbags, which have been associated with several recalls in recent years.
Owners of older Opel and BMW cars should be careful. The problem affects vehicles that have Takata airbags. These airbags have been known for years to be a safety hazard.
In the event of an accident, part of the airbag may be damaged. In this case, metal fragments can enter the cabin. These can endanger the driver and passengers. It is not a minor repair or a routine inspection at the service center. This is a recall related to the safety of people in the car. Airbag replacement is supposed to be free, so it is not worth postponing it, this problem was also pointed out on the Slovak portal tnlive.sk.
Airbag replacement is free in the service
As the Slovak brand portal points out Opelsome drivers should check to see if their car is affected by the recall. These are vehicles that may have Takata airbags.
A recall is not an ordinary service visit. It mostly concerns things that are important for the safety of the car. If it also applies to your vehicle, Opel recommends contacting an authorized service center as soon as possible. The repair is free of charge.
Takata airbags are used by car manufacturers all over the world. The problem is in the part that helps the airbag to deploy in an accident. It can get damaged over time, especially if the car has been in a warm and humid environment for a long time.
A dangerous situation can then arise in the event of an accident. The airbag can be damaged and in some cases the crew can be seriously injured or even killed. Opel states that the affected vehicles will gradually be called in for service by Stellantis. The service center will replace the driver’s airbag module free of charge. The replacement itself should take approximately one hour and the vehicle owner does not pay for it.
Owners can check their car by VIN number. It is enough to enter it on the official portal of the Opel brand, or contact an authorized service center directly. According to the VIN number, it is possible to find out whether the car belongs to the vehicles that should come to the service.
Affected models are:
- Opel Astra H, Astra J
- Opel Cascada
- Opel Meriva B
- Opel Mokka
- Opel Signum
- Opel Vectra C
- Opel Zafira C
“Please note that some models of Opel Astra H, Astra J, Cascada, Meriva B, Mokka, Signum, Vectra C, Zafira C are subject to a measure – stopping the use of “STOP DRIVE”. Affected vehicles can be identified by the “KU3″ challenge code displayed after VIN verification. If your vehicle is subject to a TAKATA recall with this code, do not use the vehicle and immediately make an appointment for a free airbag replacement,” they inform on the Opel.sk portal.
The problem with Takata airbags is worldwide
As the German portal also points out ADACthe problem with Takata airbags is not limited to Opel or any country. This is a global recall that car companies have been dealing with for several years.
In the case of Opel, several older models are mentioned, for example Astra, Cascada, Meriva, Mokka, Vectra, Zafira or Signum. According to the ADAC portal, there are more than 900,000 vehicles in the world.
With some cars, the risk is so serious that owners are not supposed to drive them until they have been serviced. This applies mainly to selected vehicles in southern European countries. However, used cars imported from abroad can also have a problem.
The reason is the Takata airbags. Some of them can get damaged over time and can cause serious injury to the crew in an accident. Owners should therefore check the car according to the VIN number on the official Opel portal or directly at an authorized service center. Only according to the VIN can it be determined whether a particular vehicle needs an airbag replacement.
Selected Opel models must go to the service center to replace the driver’s airbag:
- Astra (January 3, 2005 to June 11, 2014)
- Astra 10 (February 24, 2009 to August 23, 2018)
- Cascada (May 8, 2012 to August 22, 2018)
- Meriva (5/2/2009 to 24/3/2017)
- Mocha (December 15, 2011 to June 6, 2018)
- Vectra (4.7.2003 to 10.10.2008)
- Zafira (25.2.2011 to 26.7.2016)
- Signum (February 16, 2005 to June 19, 2008)
BMW also has a problem
In the second article ADAC points out that BMW vehicles also have a problem with Takata airbags. Therefore, the automaker is recalling almost 1.5 million cars worldwide. In Germany alone, the recall should concern more than 370,000 vehicles.
The reason is a fault in the gas generator of the driver’s airbag. In an accident, the airbag may not inflate as it should. In the worst case, parts of the cover or metal fragments may be released when it is activated. These can injure people in the vehicle.
The recall action concerns several BMW models manufactured between 2006 and 2015. The BMW 1 Series, BMW 3 Series, BMW M3, BMW X1 and BMW X3 are mentioned in particular.
As part of the repair, the service has to replace the entire airbag. This exchange is free for owners if they perform it at an authorized BMW workshop.
