NHTSA recall 99V063000

A recall listed here may apply to a vehicle of this year, make and model. Only the manufacturer can say whether it applies to one vehicle: check the VIN with the official lookups.

Campaign
Published by	NHTSA (United States)
Campaign number	99V063000
Manufacturer	BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE
Reported	1999-03-26
Owners notified	1999-04-30
Component	AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
Units potentially affected	34701

What is wrong

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES ARE BUILT WITH A SIDE AIR BAG SYSTEM CONSISTING OF DOOR-MOUNTED THORAX AIR BAGS (REAR DOOR AIR BAGS ARE OPTIONAL), A HEAD PROTECTION SYSTEM (HPS) FOR FRONT OCCUPANTS, A CENTRAL ELECTRONIC SENSOR AND DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM, LEFT AND RIGHT SATELLITE IMPACT SENSORS, AND ASSOCIATED WIRING. THIS SYSTEM IS UNDULY SENSITIVE TO CERTAIN NON-CRASH IMPACTS, SUCH AS CONTACTING LARGE POTHOLES OR CURBS AT SUBSTANTIAL SPEED.

What can happen

THIS COULD CAUSE THE SIDE AIR BAG AND HPS TO DEPLOY WITHOUT AN ACTUAL SIDE CRASH. IN ADDITION, THE BATTERY SAFETY TERMINAL (BST) WOULD ALSO ACTIVATE, DISCONNECTING THE STARTER CABLE FROM THE BATTERY. IN THIS CASE, VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WOULD CONTINUE TO OPERATE AND THE ENGINE WOULD CONTINUE TO RUN, BUT AFTER STOPPING, COULD NOT BE RESTARTED.

The remedy

DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE CENTRAL COMPUTER CONTROL MODULE THAT REGULATES THE PERFORMANCE OF ALL OF THE VEHICLE'S OCCUPANT PROTECTION SYSTEMS.

Notes

OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 30, 1999. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117. ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Vehicles this campaign lists
1999 BMW 323I	Built 1998-06-01 to 1999-03-25.
1999 BMW 328I	Built 1998-06-01 to 1999-03-25.

A vehicle with no link is not in this site's catalog, which covers cars, multipurpose vehicles and trucks by model year. The campaign is from data as of 2026-10-19.

Investigated as PE99017

This recall followed 1 NHTSA investigation. An investigation is NHTSA looking into a possible defect. It is not a finding that a defect exists, and it does not say that any one vehicle is affected.

NHTSA investigations that led to this recall
PE99017	Preliminary evaluation, opened 1999-03-02, closed 1999-05-11. INADVERTENT SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS. AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW.

From NHTSA's investigation file, as of 2026-10-19. The JSON has NHTSA's summary of each.

Bulletins for the same vehicles and component

Bulletins for the same vehicles and component
B651820	2020-12-21. Service bulletin. SERVICE ACTION - HEAD AIR BAG HOLDER RETROFIT: A rattle noise may develop from the head air bag (ITS) gas generator contacting adjacent component. This noise can be heard while driving on an uneven roadway.
B013118	2019-05-20. Service bulletin. TAKATA AIR BAG RECALL-RELATED SHORT-TERM ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION AND CONSEQUENTIAL REPAIRS This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B01 31 18 dated October 2018.
B013118	2019-05-20. Service bulletin. TAKATA AIR BAG RECALL-RELATED SHORT-TERM ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION AND CONSEQUENTIAL REPAIRS This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B01 31 18 dated October 2018.
B080119	2019-03-18. Service bulletin. In an effort to improve the completion rate on Takata air bag recall affected vehicles; BMW NA has expanded the BMW Ultimate Rewards platform to include a new Recall Support page. This page will allow IRFs to check their customers VINs for open Takata recalls; and get rewarded for helping us with completing repairs.
B011618	2019-02-25. Service bulletin. TAKATA CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT. CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM. FRONT DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG MODULES.
B011718	2018-11-26. Service bulletin. For the above-referenced vehicles with passenger?s side airbag modules, BMW of North America, LLC (?BMW NA?) will provide a Customer Support Program as outlined in the Takata Settlement Customer Support Program Overview attachment. This ?component-specific? customer support program applies only if there is a defect in materials or workmanship of the Takata passenger?s side airbag module in a listed vehicle.
B011618	2018-11-26. Service bulletin. For the above-referenced vehicles with driver?s side airbag modules, BMW of North America, LLC (?BMW NA?) will provide a Customer Support Program as outlined in the Takata Settlement Customer Support Program Overview attachment. This ?component-specific? customer support program applies only if there is a defect in materials or workmanship of the Takata driver?s side airbag module in a listed vehicle.
651414	2018-11-13. Service bulletin. Special Technical Campaign. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has urged vehicle manufacturers to conduct an investigation into air bags which may not deploy correctly. BMW is cooperating with this request. Takata is a supplier of air bags to several automotive manufacturers. They have informed NHTSA of a small number of cases of improperly deploying air bags in a few specific areas of the US. None of the reported cases involve any BMW vehicles. No determination has been made by BMW and Takata that a safety issue exists.This program involves the driver and front passenger air bag system. Specifically, the air bag system may have been manufactured with an inflator that was not produced to specification. After long-term exposure in high absolute humidity environments, in a crash in which air bag system deployment occurs, the air bag system housing may rupture. To assist Takata with their determination, BMW will be collecting air bags from a limited number of customer vehicles. Once the affected vehicle population has been determined, owners of affected vehicles will be notified by letter to visit their authorized BMW center to have their air bag(s) replaced. Additional information will be provided at that time. A press release from NHTSA on this topic is expected to be issued on Monday, June 23, 2014.
SIB-65-36-09	2011-05-04. Service bulletin. BMW: THE AIRBAG WARNING LAMP IS ILLUMINATED DUE TO A SOFTWARE ERROR. *RM
SIB-65-75-06	2009-07-13. Service bulletin. BMW SERVICE CAMPAIGN: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. THE AIRBAG WARNING LAMP (AWL) IS ILLUMINATED, TOGETHER WITH THE PASSENGER AIRBAG STATUS LAMP (POL). THE PROBLEM MAY BE INTERMITTENT. MICROCRACKS IN THE OC3 SEAT MAT. PE UPDATED 9/30/11. PE

A bulletin is the manufacturer's note to its dealers. It is not part of this recall.