Vehicle recall R/2009/065

BMW 1 Series and BMW 3 Series recall: Front side airbag or seat belt tensioner may not operate correctly

DVSA recall R/2009/065 names the BMW 1 Series and BMW 3 Series. It was launched 30 June 2009. It covers vehicles built 23 May 2008 to 21 July 2008.

Recall data updated 22 September 2026

Recall: R/2009/065
Launched: 30 June 2009
Issued by: BMW
Vehicles: DVSA lists 1,756 on each model line

What can go wrong

It has been identified that due to faulty crimping of the component parts of the airbag wiring harness and seat belt tensioner the side airbag or seatbelt tensioner may not trigger in the vent of a collision.

The fix

Recalled vehicles will have the harness checked and repaired as necessary.

Models and build dates

As listed in the DVSA recall file. DVSA lists the same vehicle number on each line: 1,756. It may be a figure per line or for the whole recall.
Model	Built	Vehicles
BMW 1 Series	23 May 2008 to 21 July 2008	1,756
BMW 3 Series	23 May 2008 to 21 July 2008	1,756

Is a specific car affected? A recall lists models and build dates, not individual vehicles, so these pages cannot tell you whether one car is included. Enter the registration on the DVSA vehicle recall checker on GOV.UK, or give the vehicle identification number (VIN) to the manufacturer or one of its dealers. Buying used? Ask the seller for proof that any recall work was done.

Other recalls for these models

R/2010/102 Fire may occur 4 August 2010, BMW 1 Series
R/2008/026 Door pressure sensors may delay side airbag deployment following an impact. 14 February 2008, BMW 3 Series
R/2011/123 Risk of fire 5 October 2011, BMW 7 Series, BMW 5 Series, BMW X3 and others
R/2006/199 Steering lock may inadvertently engage 22 December 2006, BMW 3 Series
R/2006/207 Possible loss of braking power assistance 28 November 2006, BMW 1 Series, BMW 3 Series
R/2012/081 EPS may not perform as specified 30 July 2012, BMW 3 Series, BMW Z4, BMW 1 Series and others

Found one you might buy?

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Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA vehicle recall records (RecallsFile.csv), recalls launched 1992 to 2026. Recall data updated 22 September 2026.

Recall wording is DVSA's, with capitals and punctuation tidied and American spellings such as tire, center and windshield given in British English. We list a recall when its make and model match a car or van family with at least 1,000 DVSA MOT tests from 2022 to 2025, and when the maker of the vehicle issued it.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. Methodology · Data sources