NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 15 – BMW Group South Africa Limited has urged owners of selected vehicle models to check whether their cars are fitted with defective airbags, following a regional safety recall.
In a statement, the COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission (CCCC) advised affected consumers to have their vehicles inspected and, where necessary, repaired at the nearest authorised BMW dealership.
“The CCCC continues to work closely with BMW and the Member States to ensure that any affected consumers are informed and provided with redress in accordance with the recall,” said CCCC Consumer Welfare and Advocacy Director Støyen Kamukama.
Kenya is among nine COMESA member states affected by the recall announced in November last year. Others include Egypt, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles, Tunisia and Zimbabwe.
The regional body warned that the recall involves faulty starter motors and Takata airbags, which can rupture after prolonged exposure to humidity and high temperatures. Such defects pose a risk of serious or fatal injuries if the airbags deploy.
COMESA further disclosed that BMW has submitted an additional list of affected models, including the BMW 3 Series E46 (manufactured between January 2002 and August 2006) with defective driver-side airbags, and BMW 3 Series E46 models produced between 1999 and August 2006 with faulty passenger-side airbags, among others.
Motorists have been urged to promptly verify whether their vehicles are affected to avoid potential safety risks.
