BMW X3 And X4 Passenger Air Bag Shutoff
high How serious is it? About this label
A deactivated front passenger air bag will not deploy in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.
Key facts
| NHTSA campaign number | 21V521000 |
|---|---|
| Reported to NHTSA | Jul 8, 2021 |
| Manufacturer | BMW of North America, LLC |
| Part affected | AIR Bags:frontal |
| Vehicles covered | 3 model/year combinations, model years 2018–2019 |
| Do-not-drive advisory | No |
| Park-outside advisory | No |
| Repair | Free at any franchised dealer |
What's wrong, in plain English
On certain 2018-2019 BMW X3 and 2019 X4 models, the system that senses whether the front passenger seat is occupied may have been put together incorrectly. This can make the system think the seat is empty even when someone is sitting in it, which turns off the front passenger air bag.
What you should do
2. Contact a BMW dealer, or call BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
3. The repair (seat foam replacement) is free.
Where do I find my VIN, and what do I tell the dealer?
Your VIN is the 17-character code on the lower left of the windshield, on your registration and usually on your insurance card. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether this recall is still open on your car. When you call the dealer, say you have an open safety recall and give them NHTSA campaign number 21V521000. More in how recalls work.
Affected vehicles (3)
Who to contact
BMW — official BMW recall lookup
Customer service: 1-800-525-7417
The bigger picture
- BMW Air Bag Recalls Cover Deployment Failures and Passenger Protection · all 14 BMW recalls in this area
Other BMW X3 recalls
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- Jan 30, 2026BMW, Toyota Supra: Engine Starter May Catch Firecritical
- Dec 11, 2025BMW X3 Steering Wheel May Move Unexpectedlyhigh
- Sep 23, 2025BMW and Toyota Supra Starter Relay Fire Riskcritical
- Apr 16, 2025BMW X3 Front Brake Discs Damaged in Transporthigh
- Apr 1, 2025BMW 430i, X3 Starter Connection May Loosencritical
Official notice
- Component
- AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
- Summary
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2019 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i and 2019 X4 xDrive30i, and X4 M40i vehicles. The front passenger seat occupant classification system may have been improperly assembled, which could result in the misclassification of the seat as unoccupied, and deactivate the front air bag.
- Safety risk
- A deactivated front air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the seat foam, which includes the occupant classification system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.