BMW recently recalled 1.6 million 3 Series vehicles manufactured between May 1999 and August 2006 (MY 2000-2006) to fix a potential air bag issue. According to the automaker, there are potential problems with the airbag inflators that could "rupture in vehicles produced by our competitors using similar systems from the same supplier."

Although BMW is not specifically aware of any cases involving an actual BMW vehicle, it has begun a voluntary replacement campaign as a precautionary measure to minimize the risk of faulty airbag activation.

The recall will affect 1.6 million 3-Series MY 2000-2006 around the world, including 574,000 in the U.S. The airbag inflators, which were manufactured by Takata Corp., have been responsible for related recalls by Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, and Toyota.

Car owners affected by the recall will be notified by BMW, with the repair only taking about an hour to complete.