NHTSA campaign 20V016000
BMW Recall 20V-016: Passenger Air Bag Inflators May Explode
- Do not drive
- Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation
Owners are advised not to drive these vehicles until the recall repair is done.
NHTSA recall 20V016000 was reported by BMW of North America, LLC on January 15, 2020, with 4,007 vehicles potentially affected (per NHTSA). NHTSA's record lists the BMW X5, BMW X6 and BMW X6 Activehybrid SAC for model years 2007–2012. Owners were notified on March 11, 2020, 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 20V016000 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
- 20V016000 (also written 20V-016 or 20V016)
- Filed by
- BMW of North America, LLC
- Report received
- Potentially affected
- 4,007 vehicles (per NHTSA)
- Component
- Air Bags — Frontal — Passenger Side — Inflator Module
- Owners notified
Repair completion: 65.41% (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 20V016000. 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.
NHTSA's recall notice
As NHTSA's recall record states it for campaign 20V016000.
Defect description
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2009-2012 X5 xDrive35d, 2008-2012 X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6 M, 2007-2012 X5 30si, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 48i, X5 xDrive48i, X5 xDrive50i and X5 M and 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid vehicles equipped with non-desiccated, passenger frontal air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSPI-2) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Safety consequence
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Manufacturer remedy
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until this remedy is performed. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger front air bag, free of charge. The recall began March 11, 2020. 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 20V016000
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.