BMW of North America is preparing a new safety recall affecting several 2026 model year vehicles from the BMW and MINI brands. According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an issue with the supplier may have caused the seat belt retractors in certain front-wheel drive vehicles and SUVs to be compromised.
The problem
The problem is due to housing pins in the rear seat belt retractors that may have been damaged during production at supplier Autoliv’s manufacturing facility. The problem reportedly occurred while the facility was being serviced. In the event of an accident or sudden deceleration, a damaged retractor may not lock the seat belt properly, increasing the risk of injury.
The defect also means the affected vehicles do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 209, which governs seat belt installation requirements.
Affected models
The recall affects a small group of approximately 1,024 vehicles in the United States, including:
Remediation and notification timeline
Dealers were instructed to replace both rear seat belt assemblies at no charge to the owner or lessee. BMW says customer notification letters will be sent on December 12, 2025 and affected VIN numbers will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning that same day.
Owners with questions can contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.
