BMW recalls cars over airbag defects in China

BEIJING - German automaker BMW will recall 389 cars in the Chinese mainland as part of a worldwide recall due to a defect in the front passenger seat airbags, China's consumer quality watchdog said Tuesday.

The vehicles being recalled are BMW's imported 3-Series models produced between December 2001 and March 2003, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said in a statement.

Due to a manufacturing problem, the airbags for the front passenger seat may not deploy in the event of a crash. As a result, there is a risk that fire or metal fragments could shoot out from the airbags, according to the statement.

Authorized BMW dealers in China will contact relevant consumers and replace the faulty parts, said the statement.

The AQSIQ said in another statement on Tuesday that US automaker Chrysler will recall vehicles in China over a problem in the circuit boards. The vehicles to be recalled include 43 imported Jeeps from model year 2002.