NHTSA campaign 16V173000
BMW Recall 16V-173: Air Bags may not Deploy due to Residue on Module
NHTSA recall 16V173000 was reported by BMW of North America, LLC on March 25, 2016, with 6,110 vehicles potentially affected (per NHTSA). NHTSA's record lists the BMW 740LI, BMW 750LI and BMW 750LXI for the 2016 model year. Owners were notified on July 8, 2016, per NHTSA.
Updated daily from NHTSA's recall files
Is my vehicle included?
This page lists, by model year, the vehicles NHTSA's recall record names for campaign 16V173000 in the model years try.vin imports (1995 and later); NHTSA's own record can list more. A model year on the list doesn't mean every vehicle of that year is included, and some may already have been repaired.
To see whether a specific vehicle is included and still needs the repair, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
BMW VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Key facts
- NHTSA campaign
- 16V173000 (also written 16V-173 or 16V173)
- Filed by
- BMW of North America, LLC
- Report received
- Potentially affected
- 6,110 vehicles (per NHTSA)
- Component
- Air Bags — Frontal — Sensor/Control Module-Inactive
- Owners notified
Repair completion: 96.7% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated October 21, 2026)
NHTSA cautions against comparing completion rates across recalls or manufacturers. How try.vin reads them.
Vehicles listed for this recall
NHTSA's recall record lists these vehicles for recall 16V173000. try.vin imports model years 1995 and later, so NHTSA's own list can be longer. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to it. Build dates are NHTSA's range for a model year (per NHTSA); a vehicle built in that range is not necessarily included.
BMW
BMW 740LI
- 2016 · Vehicles built July 1, 2015 – December 11, 2015 (per NHTSA)
BMW 750LI
- 2016 · Vehicles built July 1, 2015 – December 11, 2015 (per NHTSA)
BMW 750LXI
- 2016 · Vehicles built July 1, 2015 – December 11, 2015 (per NHTSA)
NHTSA's recall notice
As NHTSA's recall record states it for campaign 16V173000.
Defect description
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2016 740Li, 750Li, and 750Lxi vehicles manufactured July 1, 2015, to December 11, 2015. The affected vehicles have an air bag control module that may randomly reset due to an electrical short circuit as a result of residual metallic particles from the manufacturing process.
Safety consequence
In the event of a crash while the air bag module is resetting, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.
Manufacturer remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control module, free of charge. The recall began on July 11, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Sources
Official NHTSA notice for recall 16V173000
Campaign details come from NHTSA's recall files, which try.vin imports once a day. The plain-language subject and the completion rate come from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Recalls Data dataset. How try.vin reads recall data.