Vehicles Affected
3 Series sedans, coupes, convertibles 1994 through 1997 model yearsZ3 1996, 1997
5 Series (E34) 1994 (as of 9/93 production), 1995
5 Series (E39) 1997
7 Series (E32) 1993, 1994
7 Series (E38) 1995 through 1997
8 Series 1993 through 1997
New vehicles delivered from the Vehicle Preparation Centers (VPC/ICP) as of this month will be equipped with the reference card and two of the labels. Additional quantities (based on sales volume) of the cards and labels will be sent directly to your facility so that any applicable vehicles in your new/used car inventory or Service Department which are not yet equipped with the card and label can have these supplied prior to vehicle delivery.
BMW's policy on the transportation of infants and children is explained in the BMW Owner's Manual, the labels on the sun visors, and the new owner audio cassette. Further information on BMW's recommendations on the transportation of infants and children can be found in SI 72 03 96 dated April 1996 and in SI 72 06 96 dated September 1996.
To re - emphasize:
- Many state laws and common sense dictate that infants and small children should never be carried on the lap of an adult.
- A rear-facing child seat should never be used in the front passenger seat, because the passenger airbag can place an extremely high load on a rear - facing child seat in the event of deployment.
- BMW strongly recommends against the use of a forward - facing child seat in the front passenger seat location, as well as small children that have outgrown child seats from riding in the front passenger seat.
A detailed explanation of the dual front airbag restraint system can be found in TRI 72 01 93 (2137) dated October 1994.
Our Customer Relations Department has already received many customer inquiries on this issue, and about airbags in general, and has prepared a listing of Questions & Answers. Please refer to and familiarize yourselves with the enclosed listing, as the answers may be of help when explaining BMW's and the automobile industry's policy on this subject.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration continues to evaluate the legality of temporarily disconnecting airbags. While there may be special circumstances that would support a serious measure such as this, it is generally not recommended by BMW.
Even if NHTSA reverses its decision and permits disconnection, this is not an action that should be taken without careful consideration. While there may be special circumstances that support temporarily disconnecting an airbag, BMW recommends that its owners carefully weigh both drawbacks and benefits before having this done. To help with this, a fact sheet discussing the issues involved in airbag disconnection is available for BMW owners and retailers.